PROPERTY SEARCH
UK visa-waiver charges to enter Spain delayed until 2024
The EU has delayed the introduction of the 7 euros ETIAS form to enter its passport-free zone
The new European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS) will soon see Brits charged seven euros (5.92 pounds) for a visa-waiver to enter Spain and other EU countries, but its roll-out has officially been postponed.
ETIAS was originally supposed to be implemented at the end of this year but this has been pushed back to November 2023, and it’s unlikely that any travellers arriving from the UK will have to trouble themselves with the process before the start of 2024 at the earliest.
The new system will be applied to all non-EU citizens from countries which currently have visa-free travel within the European Union. Nevertheless, it’s expected to be very similar to the ESTA scheme required for entry into the United States and will involve paying a fee and completing an online form before travelling to one of the member states on holiday.
Once it’s launched, tourists between the ages of 18 and 70 coming to Spain will have to pay for the visa-waiver but it will remain valid for three years and so can be used again and again. According to official sources, approval usually only takes a few minutes.
Besart Bajrami, founder of SchengenVisaInfo.com, said: “Having an ETIAS means that Britons will be able to skip some of the checks they undergo now, as all their information will be available in their ETIAS.
“Border guards won’t even have to ask the questions that they ask now.”
Travel for Brits was made somewhat easier at the beginning of the summer when the Spanish authorities followed in the footsteps of Portugal in allowing UK passengers to use the automated eGates at airports usually reserved exclusively for EU travellers. However, those arriving for Britain still have to join another queue and wait to have their passports stamps, which can often be lengthy process.
Image: Archive
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
