The EU has clarified that travellers from third countries under the Schengen Area visa-free entry regime when the ETIAS travel authorisation requirement becomes effective in 2024, which includes the UK, will not be required to submit health information or biometrics when applying for one.
This clarification comes amid growing misinformation related to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is scheduled to become effective sometime by the middle of next year, 2024, though an exact date has still not been announced.
In a statement published on the official ETIAS website, which currently only gives information about the system and doesn’t accept applications yet, the EU points out that no one will need to provide information on their health, i.e. vaccinations, once the system starts operating.
“When applying for an ETIAS, travellers will not be required to provide any information related to their health or vaccination status, and nor will travellers be requested to provide any biometric data, such as fingerprints,” the EU statement says.
It further clarifies that travellers from 60 other world countries who will need the ETIAS, will be asked a few security questions for the system to evaluate whether they present any type of danger for the Schengen Zone and the EU. Here, questions about past criminal convictions and trips to conflict zones are included.
Travellers will be asked for their personal details, including name and surname, place of birth, passport info, address, email, phone number, etc.
All applications will be checked against EU security databases before being granted a decision. According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), 97% of applicants will have their ETIAS application processed and approved immediately.
The remaining 3% of applications will be reviewed manually by the ETIAS Central Unit and the National Units, for final decision. “Travellers who do not have a valid travel authorisation will be refused boarding by the carrier (i.e., airline, bus or ferry company),” Frontex explained in a statement released at the beginning of June this year.
In the last few weeks, the EU has intensified its campaign to inform travellers about the ETIAS by fighting misinformation, including the belief that the ETIAS is a visa, which is completely untrue.
