Europe Has Delayed Charging Incoming Travellers For Another Six Months
Aussies planning a European vacation are in luck because the European Union has postponed introducing a new system that will charge visitors from outside of the EU to enter the region until November 2023.
The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) — which will charge travellers from visa exempt countries a €7 fee to enter the region — was set to be rolled out in May next year, but has now been pushed back by six months.
Residents of visa exempt countries including Australia, the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Singapore, and Mexico will need to register with ETIAS and pay the fee to enter the country. However, travellers from countries that still require a visa to travel will no have to pay the additional fee.
Thankfully, the process seems pretty simple, with the European Commission estimating that 95% of travellers will get their registration approved within minutes.
Once your ETIAS registration is activated, you can travel in and out of the EU as you please for three years. There is no limit on how many times you can use your ETIAS, so you’ll be free to jet set around Europe for three years for only €7.
But to make things more complex, you won’t need to show your ETIAS registration to enter all EU countries — just those in the Schengen Area. This means that Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Croatia will not require you to register upon entry.
This is the second time the scheme has been delayed, after it was initially meant to be released in 2021, so it is unclear if it will meet the November 2023 deadline or will be further postponed.
