Whether you want to travel to Spain or to any other European country, this article is of great interest to you. Because in a very short time the already well-known visa to travel to Europe, the ETIAS form, will finally come into force.
In this article you are about to find everything we know so far about this travel authorization, including who will actually need to apply for it, how the step-by-step process will work, its confirmed costs, requirements, and much more
What is ETIAS?
The ETIAS certificate is an electronic travel authorization that will really soon be necessary for many non-EU citizens to enter any Schengen country as a tourist.
It will be an essential travel requirement that you reject your entry in case you haven’t applied for it when necessary.
You can find here the complete list of countries that are part of the Schengen Area here (which will require ETIAS at its borders), and remember that Croatia from the beginning of 2023 is also part of it.
It is a modern system that connects all member countries of this area, facilitating on the one hand the entry of foreigners who do not require a visa, while ensuring greater ease in the prevention and detection of migration and security risks.
In short, the ETIAS is a new system that will provide European authorities with greater control over short-term stays.
Thus, it is not a visa, but an extra requirement to identify the foreigner traveling to Europe.
Who has to apply for the ETIAS visa?
The most important question to ask is whether you really need to apply for this authorization.
Basically, all those foreigners who are not required to apply for a visa to enter Spain (or any country of the Schengen Area) will have to apply for the ETIAS form.
Thus, we are talking about the nationals of:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia And Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- South Korea
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Nicaragua
- New Zealand
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- United Kingdom
- Solomon Islands
- Samoa
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
- Saint Lucia
- Vatican City State
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad And Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
Therefore, if your country requires a Schengen visa to be able to enter European territory, you will not have to apply for ETIAS authorization, since you still have to get your tourist visa.
And this is very important: applying for ETIAS does not mean that you are exempt from the rest of the requirements to enter Spain without a visa.
Travel medical insurance, having your return ticket purchased upon arrival, confirmation of accommodation, letter of invitation… All these requirements (among others) are equally necessary, and ETIAS is added as an extra.
You can access the complete list of requirements to enter Spain or the Schengen Area here.
How to apply?
You will need to apply for this authorization BEFORE you travel to Europe.
One of the advantages of the ETIAS is that it is much easier to apply for than the traditional tourist visa (besides being much cheaper!). You will be able to complete the whole process simply with your passport or travel document.
For 95% of cases, in just a few minutes you will have your authorization, so the process works almost immediately.
This is because once you fill in the corresponding form, the system will cross-reference your data with all the information bases of the European Union for security and borders, returning in a very short time verification confirming that everything is correct.
In case additional revisions are required, the process could take up to 30 days, although this is not at all usual.
There is still NO website to start your application, so it is not possible to enter the corresponding platform at this time.
We will update this article with all the details once it is officially published, but what we do know is that both a web portal and an official app will be available to make the application.
You can access the latest 100% updated information on these pages of the European Commission.
How much does it cost?
This authorization has a cost of 7€ (much lower than the cost of the tourist visa), which you must pay as long as you are between 18 and 70 years old.
The payment will be made online directly when you apply for the authorization, as the system itself will have a payment gateway.
ETIAS will have a total duration of 3 years, or equivalent to the duration of your passport if it has a shorter expiration date.
In other words, once applied for, you will be able to use it unlimitedly to enter the Schengen area, always considering the total 90 days available within the 180 day-period as a tourist.
When does ETIAS come into force?
While it is true that the initial approach was that this form would come into force during 2021, its launch has been repeatedly delayed until the current date.
Thus, in principle, it will end up entering into force in November 2023, although it is not yet 100% specified and we do not have an exact date.
In addition to this, once it becomes fully available it will do so through a trial period that will last 6 months and during which it will not be 100% mandatory to obtain it, being able to enter the Schengen Area by fulfilling the rest of the requirements.
We will be updating this information through our social media and blog as the date is confirmed, so follow us to not miss anything!
Remember that if you need personalized legal advice to immigrate to Spain and get your residence permit successfully, our immigration lawyers are at your complete disposal:
I want to talk to an immigration lawyer
