No, ETIAS is not a visa for Europe as it doesn’t allow a person to work or study in within the EU borders. Earlier, it was possible for foreigners to enter the EU region for a period of 90 days for the purpose of business or travel but not for work and study. However, later due to the concerns of terrorism and other security attacks, ETIAS was introduced in the European Commission to serve the same purpose with high security. In this post, we have explained all the necessary details that you need to know about ETIAS to travel in Europe.
What is ETIAS?
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System is an electronic system which is used to keep a track of visitors to the European region who don’t need any VISA to enter in the European countries. It is similar to United States Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). Using the ETIAS facility, it is possible for the authorities to keep a track on every detail of a person who enters the Schengen Zone country for a period of up to 90 days. So, instead of opting for a long process of VISA, one could use ETIAS to travel to Schengen Zone country for the purpose of medical, business or travel reasons.
The legal procedure to pass ETIAS began in 2016 and it is expected to complete by 2021. Also, in order to implement ETIAS, it is also mandatory for the Schengen Zone countries to be visa-free. With the motive to increase the security in the European countries, ETIAS has been introduced and it is likely to serve the purpose if implemented properly. This would reduce the security concerns on other departments as ETIAS would facilitate the denial of a person’s entry in its country before it even enters the EU region.
However, apart from increasing the secure travel into European countries, ETIAS authorization would ensure the reduction in procedure and application times. The other benefits of implementing ETIAS are the improvement in the EU country borders, detection, and reduction of crime rates which would reduce the burden on European intelligence agency. Apart from this, It would prevent irregular migration and contribute to the reinforcement in the visa liberalization policy of the EU.