ETIAS Travel authorization (for Europe) starting in 2024

[Jim Avery]

Just now, SantaFe1 said:

Well, the Tower of London is just right up the river…

Nice views from some of the "suites".....

[Cienfuegos]

6 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Nice views from some of the "suites".....

Your head gets an even better view from the stakes in front of the Tower...

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, Cienfuegos said:

Your head gets an even better view from the stakes in front of the Tower...

We were just there in June. They have replace the chopping block where Anne Boleyn was beheaded with a crystal pillow

Traitor’s Gate

 

The White Tower 

 

[longterm]

9 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

Another interesting article.  The two programs might be uncoupled, and the EES might not start until after the Paris Olympics next summer.  Just hoping nothing before our BIE cruise on May 9.  

... or our BIE cruise on July 4th!

I was on the ETIAS site just this morning; nothing live yet so who knows, this could be kicked down the road another year or more. 

 

I can't imagine that passport control is going to start fingerprinting every foreign visitor when they get to the counters; that would easily double the length of time it takes to get through there, and I just don't see it happening.

 

I'm not going to worry about it until I have to.

Edited July 23, 2023 by longterm

[Murt22]

And here's my little friend to help you adjust to the situation.

[Peregrina651]

14 hours ago, formernuke said:

I wonder if they will connect to the Global Entry system to avoid extra work for those enrolled? Just a thought…

 

Probably not. These programs are money makers. The other countries don't want to connect to Global Entry because then they won't be able to charge GE holders a fee for entry.

 

BTW, the US has a program ESTA ($21) which is very similar to ETIAS (7€).

(From the British Airways website):

If you're a citizen of a country  covered by the Visa Waiver Programme (such as the UK) you are able to  travel to the USA with an Electronic System Travel Authorisation (ESTA)  instead of a visa.

Make sure you apply for your ESTA at least 72 hours before your departure.You may not be allowed to travel if you arrive at the airport without an ESTA.

You will need a valid e-Passport to use ESTA. These have a microchip  symbol on their front cover. ESTAs are valid for multiple journeys for  up to two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.

 

 

 

 

[KBs mum]

6 hours ago, longterm said:

 

 

I can't imagine that passport control is going to start fingerprinting every foreign visitor when they get to the counters; that would easily double the length of time it takes to get through there, and I just don't see it happening.

USA requires this for foreign visitors, only adds about 30 seconds to the passport check. 

 

[KBs mum]

15 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Oh well, been a long time since I have seen the insider of an English Gaol.  I hear all kinds of medical procedures are available at no cost to prisoners.😳

We aren't in the EU anymore, so just basic Visa (if applicable) requirements to visit us. There are mutterings that we will have some sort of similar system but likely a long way off. 

Does mean we will have to get this bit of paper to visit the EU

[photopro2]

On 7/22/2023 at 3:23 PM, Jim Avery said:

As noted above it is basically a tit for tat as the US has caused EU or UK entrants to US considerable delays for prints, scans, etc.

Not just tit for tat Jim, but also a useful revenue stream for the governments concerned. In this case, the USA adopted this particular form of taxation without representation first 😉 The EU and UK are just catching up! 

 

On 7/22/2023 at 4:44 PM, dd57 said:

Do the passport chips hold fingerprint data too?

The UK government have made a specific decision not to include fingerprint information on the biometric passport chip. It just holds a digital version of the holders photograph as well as personal details. To the best of my knowledge, US passports are the same. 

 

The USA started keeping a database of fingerprints from all UK visitors around 2004 (for other nationalities it may have been earlier) so my fingerprints were taken and added to the database on my arrival in the US when I first visited after the system was introduced. It is this type of system that the EU intend to replicate.

 

There has been some scepticism on the thread that all visitors to the EU after a certain date will have their fingerprints taken, but that is exactly what is going to be introduced and this simply replicates what has happened in the US from the early 2000s onwards.

 

A matching system is currently being introduced, and will eventually apply to all visitors to the UK. Here is a quote from the UK government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

 

"From 15 November 2023, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of Qatar. You’ll be able to apply from 25 October.

From 22 February 2024, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of:

Bahrain

Jordan

Kuwait

Oman

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

More nationalities will be added to the scheme later."

 

[photopro2]

9 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Does mean we will have to get this bit of paper to visit the EU

Once the system goes live, you certainly will..... although it is not intended to be a piece of paper as such, but a purely digital authorisation.

 

There will be two steps in the EU visitor entry process for visitors from the UK as well as most other non-EU citizens. Before leaving home, you will need to apply on-line using ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) Then, when you first arrive at the border of an EU country, you will be required to register on the ESS (Entry/Exit system) If you have not done so previously at that point you will have your photograph and fingerprints taken to add to the EU's database of visitors. This will replace passport stamping.

 

As you are from the UK, you might find this extract from a Parliamentary debate on the subject interesting:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2023-03-21/debates/5E5F203B-F411-40FA-AA73-50366D19409F/UK-EURevisedPassengerRequirements

Edited July 23, 2023 by photopro2
typo

[photopro2]

On 7/22/2023 at 12:06 PM, CDNPolar said:

But when is ESS coming into operation?

The most authoritative answer I could find is a quote from Lord Murray of Blidworth in The House of Lords on 23rd March 2023 where he said:

 

"The European Commission intends that [ETIAS] will be implemented some six months after the operationalisation of the European Entry/Exit System, which is the photograph and fingerprints at the border system I discussed a moment ago. As the noble Baroness rightly observes, the Paris Olympics fall in June next year. On the latest indications from the European Commission, the implementation date has been postponed from the end of 2023 to an uncertain date. It may be that that date will be after the Paris Olympics, but we have no indication one way or the other."

[KBs mum]

2 hours ago, photopro2 said:

Once the system goes live, you certainly will..... although it is not intended to be a piece of paper as such, but a purely digital authorisation.

 

There will be two steps in the EU visitor entry process for visitors from the UK as well as most other non-EU citizens. Before leaving home, you will need to apply on-line using ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) Then, when you first arrive at the border of an EU country, you will be required to register on the ESS (Entry/Exit system) If you have not done so previously at that point you will have your photograph and fingerprints taken to add to the EU's database of visitors. This will replace passport stamping.

 

As you are from the UK, you might find this extract from a Parliamentary debate on the subject interesting:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2023-03-21/debates/5E5F203B-F411-40FA-AA73-50366D19409F/UK-EURevisedPassengerRequirements

Yes, I know UK people will need the 'bit of paper'. I said so.  Bit of paper is a term meaning document in whatever format, electronic or stamp in passport. 

 

Getting such documents is a routine part of travel admin. For one holiday we needed 3 of them. 

[photopro2]

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

Yes, I know UK people will need the 'bit of paper'. I said so.

My sincerest apologies @KBs mum I misread the last line of your post. 

I mentally inserted the word "this" and read it as "Does this mean......." So thought it was a question despite the lack of a question mark - sorry about that. 

[ddeprez]

On 7/22/2023 at 12:12 PM, SantaFe1 said:

We get on Neptune as you get off, I believe.  We were discussing this yesterday on our Roll Call.  I am sure Viking will be all over it.  What I’m not sure of is what happens if you arrive in a Country using ETIAS from a ship rather than an airport.  On our BIA cruise the only country implicated is Norway.  

My husband called Viking regarding this yesterday. After several times of being put on hold, the agent said he couldn’t find anything regarding this! So, hopefully they will become informed at some point…