If you’re between 18 and 70, and planning on travelling to Europe in 2025, you’re going to need to know all about the updates related to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) travel authorisation.

Initially scheduled for a 2024 release, the ETIAS has been postponed until 2025.

What is the ETIAS and how does it work?

Once it is launched, travellers from more than 60 visa-exempt countries, including Australia, will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation before being allowed to travel to 30 European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, and those in the Schengen Area.

The ETIAS system will gather information, track and update that data relating to a specific visitor to determine their suitability for entry in the EU.

The system is similar to the ESTA system for the USA and is expected to be fully operational in May 2025. Once given, the travel authorisation will be valid for three years.

Travellers will need to apply online. Each applicant will undergo a detailed security check to determine their status for entry into any of the Schengen Zone countries.  Australia is among the more than 60 countries whose citizens do not currently require a visa for travel of up to 90 days in any 180-day period and who will need to apply for a ETIAS visa.

Please be aware that securing an ETIAS doesn’t guarantee entry into the Schengen Zone. You still need to have a valid passport and meet the entry conditions of the country you’re visiting.

Australian travellers can find all the information on the ETIAS entry requirements through smartraveller.

Other benefits of the system?

Along with decreasing security concerns and detecting potential threats, it is expected that the new ETIAS will also help:

• ​​Reduce procedures and application times
• Improve the management of EU country borders
• Assist in detecting and decreasing crime and terrorism
• Impede irregular migration
• Reinforce the visa liberalisation policy of the European Union (EU).

ETIAS countries

The European countries that will require travellers to hold a valid ETIAS upon arrival at their borders are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.