The EU has postponed the introduction of fees for visa-free entry
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The European Union is postponing the introduction of ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) - an electronic system for recording travelers from countries that have a visa-free regime with the EU. November 2023 has been announced as the new launch date, although earlier innovations were scheduled for May 2023.
According to the ETIAS rules, passengers from visa-free countries will have to receive an electronic confirmation from the system before entering the Schengen area and pay the corresponding fee of 7 euros. The fee will be charged once every three years. The electronic permit itself will also be valid for 3 years. As conceived by the European Commission, advance electronic permits for passengers will ensure the control of the Schengen borders, since travelers from visa-free countries are not yet subject to such checks as are carried out in relation to persons with visas.
To obtain an electronic permit, passengers will have to fill out an appropriate form with personal data and copies of documents, after which a quick check will be made against European databases. If the verification is successful, a confirmation email will be provided in a few minutes. It is noted that electronic confirmation will be required at any checkpoints - whether ground or air - and will be checked by airlines when boarding a flight.
The new system will apply to more than 1.4 billion travelers from 60 countries, including Ukrainians, for whom the EU has a visa-free regime.
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