From mid-2025 onward, visa-exempt travellers to the EU must get an ETIAS document to travel to 30 European countries

From mid-2025, travellers from 60 countries who have visa-free access to countries in the EU must get special authorization to enter the 27 nations in the Schengen zone and three other European states. The new document, called ETIAS or European Travel and Authorisation System, will be required for short-term stays for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. With that said, the specific ETIAS launch date has not yet been announced.

ETIAS will be an online document used to keep a record of travellers who enter and depart from the following 30 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Citizens of the United Kingdom will need to get ETIAS unless they also have an EU passport.

How to apply for ETIAS?

The ETIAS document will cost €7 and is valid for up to three years or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first. Travellers can apply for the authorisation online by submitting personal information (name, date of birth, home address, email address, phone number), travel document details, level of education and current occupation, country of first intended stay, address of the destination, details about prior criminal convictions and travel to conflict or war zones.

Travellers can expect to have their ETIAS applications approved in a few minutes and will get status updates by email, though there may be cases in which the process can take up to 30 days.

But it's important to note that ETIAS is not a visa, and travellers who are not from any of the 60 countries that have visa-free entry to ETIAS nations will need to apply for the relevant visa based on the purpose and length of stay of their visit.

How can travel to the EU be made easier?

Business and leisure travellers who plan to visit these 30 countries can make their travel easier by getting an eSIM — a digital version of a traditional SIM card that uses a built-in eSIM chip instead of a physical card in a smart device. Saily, the new eSIM app launched by NordVPN, provides reliable, safe, and affordable data connections in more than 150 countries. They even have a Europe-specific bundle that covers 35 countries in the continent, including all the nations that require ETIAS upon entry. Using an eSIM will save globetrotters the hassle of getting separate physical SIM cards for each country they visit. It will also protect them from the security risks posed by using unsecured local Wi-Fi networks at public places like malls and coffee shops.