ETIAS & EES Europe

Currently, 61 nationalities outside the Schengen area are exempt from visa requirements for travel to EU Member States. European Commission However, it is considering setting up a electronic travel authorization system on the American model, with the aim of strengthening the security of its borders. ETIAS, EES: these acronyms announce the modernization of European border control systems, by the end of 2023 and the year 2024.

Visamundi explains the differences between the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the Input/output system (EES) and helps you understand what documents – visa, travel authorization, etc. – you may soon need to visit Europe, depending on your nationality, the length and reason for your stay.

How does ETIAS work and who is concerned by this travel authorization to Europe?

Nationals of the 61 third countries covered by the visa exemption for Europe are authorized to travel to the member states of the European Union for a stay for tourist or professional purposes of a maximum duration of 90 days, without presenting a visa on arrival. The ETIAS, which is scheduled to be launched in 2024 after several changes, is designed to facilitate travel to Europe for citizens who are not subject to a visa requirement to enter the Schengen area. It is also part of a context of increased vigilance against terrorist threats and cross-border crime.

In order to reduce procedures and delays, ETIAS will take the form of an online system through which citizens covered by ETIAS will be able to submit their application for an authorisation to travel to Europe in just a few clicks. ETIAS will thus be the European version of the American ESTA. Identity, nationality, residential address, level of education, professional experience, travel history, etc.: the information to be provided will then be carefully analysed by the competent authorities to ensure that travellers applying for an electronic travel authorisation do not represent any risk to the security of the European Union.

Once delivered, The electronic travel authorization will be valid for a period of 3 years or, failing that, until the expiry date of the identity document with which the travellers concerned by ETIAS travel in Europe. ETIAS will concern tourist and business trips, but also transit stays and travel for medical reasons.

How does the EES work and who is affected by this Europe-wide entry and exit control system?

By the end of 2023, the EES will register all entries and exits of non-EU citizens crossing an external border of the Schengen area. It will apply to all travellers requiring a visa to travel to Europe and to travellers exempt from visa requirements for any stay in Europe not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period. The EES will therefore target a larger number of travellers than the ETIAS, which will initially be limited to the 61 nationalities benefiting from the EU's visa-free regime based on the principle of reciprocity.

Unlike ETIAS, which will screen travellers before their arrival in Europe using highly reliable security databases and will only be issued to individuals considered “without risk”, the EES will record information on travellers when they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Kept for 3 years, the data relating to the identity and travel documents of citizens concerned by the EES, as well as their biometric data, will enable the competent authorities in particular to combat identity theft and to more easily detect overstays of authorised periods of stay in Europe.

The data collected through the EES will be accessible to border authorities, visa issuing authorities and authorities responsible for monitoring travellers' compliance with entry and exit conditions.

ETIAS and EES will help EU Member States improve their border management, by tracking movements across the Schengen Area, while simplifying travel within Europe for many citizens around the world. With smarter borders, thanks to the increasing automation of border controls, the EU will then be able to strengthen its visa liberalisation policy without compromising the safety of its citizens. For travellers, whether or not they are required to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa to travel to Europe, the modernisation of European border control systems will mean simplicity and fluidity for all their travel within the European territory.

In 2017, the European Union welcomed 713 million international visitors, or 50% of world tourism.