ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System.
Europe will establish its long-awaited ETIAS, which is an electronic travel authorisation you need to fill out and pay for before travelling to Europe which of course includes Greece and Cyprus.
Europe Will Launch ETIAS Program In NOV 2023
The European Union and Schengen Area member states will launch the ETIAS travel program in May of 2023.
For tourism and travel from this May date, an ETIAS authorisation in advance of travel will be required for most visitors.
The Schengen Area of Europe consists of:
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
If you’re headed to one of these countries from May 2023 onward, you’ll probably need to submit an ETIAS before you go and pay the accompanying €7/$8 fee. There’s no change for summer 2022.
This program copies the United States “ESTA” travel program by requiring all visitors to apply for a travel authorization in advance and pay a fee accordingly.
The European ETIAS will cost €7, which is around $8 bucks.
An Approved ETIAS will have a 3-year validity and will facilitate stays up to 90 days for the purpose of travel and tourism, but not a business. Much like the US system, approvals should take hours rather than days for most visitors but can take up to 30 days.
The Schengen Area of Europe also holds onto a 90 out of 180 and 180 out of 365-day rolling eligibility system, which means tourists can’t stay longer than these periods in a year.
If you are even remotely close at the time of entry, you may be denied entry even with an ETIAS authorization. More extended stays would require a more specific visa or Golden visa.
Visitors from 60+ countries including Australia, the United States and the UK will be required to pay for and submit an ETIAS before being allowed to board any mode of transportation to one of Europe’s Schengen Area countries.
