EU gives major update to visa for all Brit tourists
THE EU has announced that it is delaying the visa that Brits will need to enter a Schengen zone country.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) - was originally was due to come into force later this year and was then pushed back until May 2023.
But an announcement on the now reads: "ETIAS is expected to be operational in November 2023."
According to the Guardian, there will also be a transition period after the rule is brought in though, which means Brits unaware of the rule could be given some leeway - most likely as far as 2024.
This means Brits have more than a year of travelling to destinations such as France and Spain without having to pay to enter.
The ETIAS scheme, similar to the US Esta, means Brits will have to pay €7 (£6) for a three year 'visa' if traveling to countries in the EU.
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Brits will be required to take part in the visa system as they are no longer a part of the EU.
Anyone between the ages of 18 and 70 will have to pay it if traveling for less than 90 days, with applications submitted 96 hours before travel.
Applicants will be asked for information about their identity, passport, education, job, recent travel, and criminal convictions, including if you have ever been kicked out of a country.
After filling in an online application form, the EU will conduct security checks and, in the vast majority of cases, issue the visa within minutes.
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But travellers are being warned that it could take up to 30 days to issue a visa if further checks on a person's identity and background are needed.
Another new system - the Entry/Exit system (EES) - is still expected to start from May 2023, which will require Brits to submit their fingerprints as well as register their name, and points of entry and exit.
This will replace the need to stamp passports, which is required for UK passengers in Europe since Brexit.
But experts have already warned the new rules will cause chaos at the borders unless new infrastructure is introduced.
Officials for the Eurotunnel and ferry services at Dover have both warned it could cause huge queues and delays, which have already been seen at Dover this summer.
Tim Reardon, head of EU exit for the Dover Harbour Board, told : “We cannot get people out of their vehicles [for the checks], because that is a safety risk, as there is traffic moving around."
Similar problems would affect Eurostar, with the train's strategy director previously saying they don't see a "practical solution".
And Nicolas Paulissen, executive officer of the Union des Aéroports français, which represents 156 French airports, said it will increase "waiting times at airports significantly".
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She said: "When we talk about waiting times, we think about the time it takes to process each ‘unit’, that is to say: the time that the border officers take to process one passenger.
“That time is going to be multiplied by two at least, three in some cases. So when you have 200 passengers disembarking from the plane the wait is going to be significant."
