欧洲国家将很快需要Inbound Travelers Pay a Fee Prior to Travel
byDaniel McCarthy/
Starting next year, inbound travelers to EU countries will be required to pay a fee as part of the bloc’s new visa waiver program called European Travel Informational and Authorization System (ETIAS).
The program, which had been floated as far back as 2016, will require all non-Europeans, including those in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, to obtain an electronic travel permit ahead of arrival. The requirement extends to all travelers who do not need a visa prior to travel.
The permit will cost each applicant 7 euros (around $7.40 US or $9.55 CAD) and will be valid for travel to Europe for three years.
A website for ETIAS saysthat the process shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes and that 95% of applicants will get approved within minutes. Travelers will only need a passport in order to apply (along with a credit card or debit card to submit the payment) and no biometric data will be collected during the process.
According to the ETIAS website, the program “will allow the European Union to determine the eligibility of citizens from the visa waiver countries or ETIAS eligible countries. Applicants will have to complete an ETIAS registration before traveling to Europe, and the information provided will be pre-screened to detect security, health, or migration risks.”
如果拒绝申请,可以要求旅行者提供其他文件,他们必须在96小时内进行。如果申请被完全拒绝,他们将有权上诉。
The U.S. requires a similar procedure to be completed as part of its Visa Waiver Program. The U.S. version, called Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA, is required for anyone boarding a plane or vessel bound for the U.S. According to Homeland Security, “In most instances, ESTA applicants will receive real-time notification on the disposition of their application to travel to the United States.”
The ESTA costs applicants $21 US.