The post-Brexit fee that will make holidays to Europe more expensive – The Telegraph

From the end of 2022, British holidaymakers will need to pay a fee to simply step foot in the Schengen Zone.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is due to be rolled out next year. The visa-waiver scheme means all third country nationals, including those from the UK, must fill in a form and pay a fee in order to travel to the EU.

The new document adds another step to the growing list of pre-holiday admin, which now includes proof of vaccine certification, testing requirements, and possible quarantine, depending on your destination.

So what is the ETIAS, how much does it cost, and when will it start? Below, we answer all your questions on the new scheme and how it will affect you.

The ETIAS is a visa-waiver scheme, similar to the ESTA system in the United States. Now the United Kingdom is considered a third country after Brexit, British travellers going to Schengen Area countries will have to pay a 7 ETIAS fee before travel.

All Schengen countries, so: 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.

No. Since Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area, you will not need an ETIAS to enter Ireland.

The ETIAS scheme was supposed to come in from January 2021, but European authorities have delayed the launch date. It is expected to be phased in from early 2022 and then to become fully operational by the end of 2022.

No. There are a number of official-looking websites containing information about ETIAS, but it is best to wait until the scheme officially launches on the European Commission website.

Yes and no. The scheme has been in the pipeline since 2016, and will apply to nationals from 63 countries including the USA, Australia and Canada. The ETIAS was not introduced because of Brexit, although because the UK left the European Union, British citizens are now considered to be third country nationals and therefore will need to apply for an ETIAS.

No. It is a visa-waiver scheme. This means there is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, and considerably less information will be required during the application process. Nationals from some countries will still need to apply for a visa to enter the European Union.

Applicants will be able to pay for their ETIAS via an official website and/or app, yet to be launched.

According to the European Commission advice page, the 7 fee is required for applicants aged between 18 and 70. Those aged under 18 or over 70 will be exempt from paying the fee.

The visa will last for three years, or until your passport expires, at which point you will need to apply for a new one.

The ETIAS application will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. It is suggested that the automated approval will be communicated within minutes of payment, via email.

You will need a travel document (passport, or equivalent), and you will be asked to provide basic personal information such as your address, email address, full name, job status, and so on.

The European Commission says that it estimates more that 95 per cent of applications will be successful. You may be rejected if you are using a travel document reported as stolen, if you pose a security or immigration risk, if you pose an epidemic risk, or if there is reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the information provided.

When verifying your information the system will automatically cross-check against Interpol databases, Europol data and the Schengen Information System among others.

If you have a clean criminal record, a legitimate travel document and have not previously broken any immigration rules, you can expect your application to go through without a hitch.

No. Only a very small number of applications will have to attend in-person interviews, if their application raises any issues.

The USA has a similar process called the ESTA. This costs $14, and in most cases comes through in a matter of minutes.

The ETIAS is one in a number of changes to have come in, since the UK left the European Union.

British travellers can only spend 90 days in Europe over any 180-day period. This means that in any year, the maximum number of days you can spend in the EU is 180 days.

There is also confusion over passport expiry dates. The EU puts a 10-year limit on the overall validity of a British passport (or, to be precise, nine years and nine months after the date it was issued). But some British passports have a few extra months added to their expiry date. Some travellers have been caught out by this rule, so be sure to check in good time before you travel.

There are also new limits on how much alcohol and tobacco you can bring into the UK. The new limits are 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine, four litres of spirits and nine litres of sparkling wine. For tobacco, the limit is 200 cigarettes.

Some phone operators are scrapping free data roaming in Europe, and bringing a pet into the continent has become trickier business. It is also worth checking what documentation is required to drive in your destination. See our full explainer for more information.

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The post-Brexit fee that will make holidays to Europe more expensive - The Telegraph