The Council of the European Union this week confirmed that the proposed start date of next year won’t happen due to technical issues with the equipment. Now it has been officially postponed until 2025 - and is likely to go live in May that year.
Website SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that an EU official said: “We had initially hoped for the EES to become operational by the end of this year or, at the latest, the beginning of the next year. Due to unforeseen delays, it has become evident that this timeline is unattainable. As a result, the implementation of the ETIAS has been rescheduled to May 2025, with the possibility of further postponement.”
The system had been put back in February from next month to an unspecified date in 2024.
Delays in the development of the European Union’s new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) were blamed at the time.
Britons travelling to European countries in the Schengen zone will be required to apply online for an Etias at a cost of €7 and it will be valid for three years.
One has to wonder of the system will ever get off the ground at all at this rate.
An ETIAS permit will cost around €7 and all travellers planning to visit one or more of the 30 countries where the pass is applicable will have to pay to get one, with a couple of exceptions. Applicants over the age of 70 will receive an ETIAS free of charge, as will minors (aged 18 or under).
The EU has said: “Recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for better management of who is entering EU borders.
The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience.
To reduce procedures and wait times and address security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution – ETIAS.
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Absolute nonsense again, how can it be to do with security when they let loads of banana boats of unvetted male migrants in all over the EU. People need to wake up. My guess is they will attach this to the WHO pandemic treaty which plans to go throught in May 2024. Which will essentially turn the world into China. No freedom.
There are hidden motives behind this delay. It is common knowledge that the EU look favourably at the uncontrolled immigration from countries outside it’s borders. Once this so called Visa is up and running, they will have great difficulty in finding excuses to explain their total lack of control of the entry of citizens from countries that are not part of this, what I consider to be an expensive PR exercise. For those of you who disagree, then please explain the difference between entry requirements at any U.S. airport and the U.S. Mexican southern border.
This is surprising. They have thought of another way to rip off the British Tourist. But not got it into operation. This as well as the Tourist Tax rip off here.