Traveler entering the European Union. (Photo Credit: Adobe/mirsad)
Why are the EU and UK doing this again?
This is all part of the EU and UK’s plans to secure and fully digitize their border systems.
So, while it may feel like an annoying hoop to jump through, keep in mind that in the long run, it could make getting into the EU and UK much smoother. How? Well, you would assume that once the EU and UK know that all people arriving have been pre-approved and the customs processes have been digitized, arrivals will be able to stroll through customs lickety split.
It is worth noting that EU nation Ireland will not be participating in ETIAS and four non-EU countries will be participating: Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. So if you’re keeping score at home, that means the total countries participating in ETIAS totals 30 (26 of 27 EU countries and the four additional nations).
Latest Launch Timetable
ETIAS is scheduled to launch at some point in 2025, roughly six months after the launch of the biometric Entry-Exit System (EES). The EES was supposed to start on November 10, 2024, but it has recently been delayed again. So it would be safe to assume that the launch of ETIAS has now been pushed back, although there has been no confirmation.
Across the English Channel, the UK is holding firm with a January 8, 2025 launch date of ETA. Americans will be able to start applying on November 27, 2024.
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Source link : https://www.travelpulse.com/voices/opinions/don-t-stress-over-europes-new-entry-requirements
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Publish date : 2024-10-15 11:00:00
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