ETIAS: what are the conditions to get it ?

ETIAS is a visa waiver program set up by the European Commission. This program, which will officially be launched in 2022, mainly aims to control entry into the Schengen area. However, to benefit from this visa exemption, you need to observe certain conditions. What are the conditions for obtaining the ETIAS?

Be a national of an eligible country

Not all countries in the world are eligible for ETIAS. Therefore, the first condition to benefit from ETIAS is to be a national of a country eligible for this visa exemption program. There are 60 of these countries. The populations of non-eligible countries will have to apply for a regular Schengen visa. For more information about that, visit https://www.etias-visas.com.

The length and reason for the stay

The duration and the reason of stay are also two essential criteria for obtaining the exemption from ETIAS visa. In fact, ETIAS is only valid for stays lasting less than or equal to 90 days. In addition, ETIAS is only granted for tourism and commercial purposes. You will therefore hardly be able to work or study in a country in the Schengen area with this authorization.

Do not represent a threat for the countries of the Schengen

Being a national of an eligible country doesn’t always guarantee that you will obtain an ETIAS authorization. The first  aim of ETIAS is to ensure the security of the countries of the Euro zone in order to limit terrorist attacks. Therefore, if you represent a certain threat to the Euro zone, you'll be denied the ETIAS. It is also important to clarify that terrorist threats are not the only ones taken into account. If you represent a health, your application for entry   into a country in the Schengen area may also be refused.

 Administrative requirements

To benefit from ETIAS, it is also necessary to comply with certain administrative requirements. First, it is important to hold a valid passport issued by an eligible country. Then, any applicant must be in possession of a bank card (debit or credit) in order to pay the ETIAS application fees. Finally, you must necessarily have an e-mail address on which you will receive your approved ETIAS.

Ultimately, you can only really benefit from the ETIAS Visa exemption if you meet all of these conditions.