Author: Ashley Montoya

VISA WAIVER POSTPONED

The European Commission recently announced that the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) visa waiver is delayed until 2022. If you’re unfamiliar, the visa waiver program, once fully operational, will require all citizens from visa-exempt countries to register for an ETIAS visa waiver in order to travel to any of the Schengen Area countries, which are made up of 22 EU member states and 4 non-EU members who share a common visa policy.

Originally scheduled for 2020 and then 2021, the postponement has been deemed necessary to ensure everyone involved is able to make all the necessary adjustments before the launch date. By extending this time, it is expected that the new European system will have a smoother transition. While it is now scheduled to launch towards the end of 2022, there will still be a 6-month grace period for third-country nationals.

HOW WILL THIS CHANGE TRAVEL?

Following the 6-month grace period, ETIAS will become an obligatory entry requirement to enter the Schengen region. The ETIAS will reinforce EU border security by automatically pre-screening non-Europeans and will cross-check passenger data against several international security databases.

Once the visa waiver comes into effect, eligible applicants will be required to fill out an online form with a a few personal details and passport data. Provided nothing is flagged during the security scan, the ETIAS visa waiver will be approved within minutes and electronically linked to the applicant’s passport.

From 2023 and beyond, an approved ETIAS will be needed to enter the Schengen Area for leisure and tourism, business, transit, as well as short-term medical treatment.

The Schengen visa allows travelers to travel to 26 European countries, 22 of them being a part of the European Union (EU) and has steadily increased in applicants every year. It has been considered hard to obtain but with the upcoming new rules being made by the EU, the Schengen Visa Code will regulate new visa issuance and benefits.

WHY IS IT CHANGING?

In May 2018, The EU adopted a proposal for the revision of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 in order to strengthen the common visa policy and better regulate migration and security concerns. They believed the new proposal would facilitate procedures for frequent travelers to the Schengen Area and reward countries that collaborate in readmission of illegal migrants with easier visa procedures. And this past year, the proposal was given the green light.

WHEN DOES IT START?

All Schengen Visa applicants will be subject to the new Schengen Visa Code starting the first Monday of February 2020. Several other countries including Denmark, Belgium, Finland and Germany have confirmed the same start date.

WHAT RULES ARE CHANGING?

The main changes foreseen by the new code include:

• Higher Visa Fees
• Extended application submission periods
• Electronic application forms in most countries
• Representative authorities of every Schengen Member must be present in every third-country in terms of visa admission
• Frequent travelers with a positive visa history to benefit from visas with lengthier validity

*For more information, visit schengenvisainfo.com

Americans are used to being able to travel to Europe with minimal planning in advance as far as comes to gaining entry. However, all that is changing come 2021. Americans will need to register starting in 2021 to travel to the European Union. Not only will Americans need to register online but they will also have to pay a fee before they enter Europe. The fee is minimal (likely about 7 Euros). Previously, this type of process was not a requirement for Americans when traveling to the EU. This new process will be considered a pre-screening and registration process.

Currently and until 2021, Americans are able to travel for up to 90 days in the 26 European Countries (Schengen area) that allow border-free travel without any sort of visa or permit. However, that will be changing.

Starting in 2021, Americans will need to apply for a European Travel Information and Authorization (ETIAS) permit in addition to having a passport and credit or debit card. Once you have received a travel authorization to enter the European Union, you will be able to enter an unlimited amount of times for 3 years. This process is similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) which the U.S. uses for countries that are part of the Visa waiver program.

The ETIAS permit will require American travelers to apply online which will include filling out basic information (name, date of birth, etc.), passport information as well information about the applicant’s health, criminal record and any previous European immigration history. The application will be checked across databases and travelers’ can likely find out within minutes if their application is approved. If it is denied, there will be a reason why.

The ETIAS process will not be nearly as in-depth as a Visa process that involves consular interview and background checks. This new process that goes in to effect in 2021 was first approved in 2016 by the European Commission. However, the European Parliament did not approve it until 2018.

It’s not easy to capture all the complexities that exist with legalizing documents outside the U.S. While we admit that the legalizing documents process inside the U.S. isn’t overly simple, it is definitely more simple than keeping track of all the different rules that often depend on individual countries outside the U.S. We’ve gathered our best advice on confirming you’ve gone through the right process when it comes to legalizing your documents for international business. Follow these steps for legalizing documents outside the U.S.

Be patient. This is not a process you will be able to rush or control. It is up to the embassy on how long this takes and additional hoops they may ask you to jump through. Typically the embassy is only in charge of verifying the authenticity of the seal and signature of the government authority, however, they may actually review the content of the documents. If they go through this process, they can refuse their approval based on something within the content of the documents.

Be methodical and detail orientated. There are different requirements for documents to presented in the U.S. than other countries. For example, in some countries your document may be accepted if it certified by a solicitor or a notary. However, in other countries, they may only accept a notary or solicitor, not either. It’s incredibly important for you to know these details in advance of starting this process.

Understand the Hague Convention. While you don’t need to know this in-depth, you do need to know the apostille process for the individual country you are preparing documents for. Please check the country the document is being certified in as well as the country the document is for to understand if both are part of the Hague Convention. If they both are, the process will be different than if one is not.

Don’t underestimate the hassle of going to the foreign embassy yourself. There are many agencies out there like Washington Express Visas that can help with this process. Using a company that does this all the time vs. an individual that has never done this before will help with understanding the complexities of working with a foreign embassy. It can be a stressful and long process so get help!

Let Washington Express help you with legalizing your documents. Contact us today for a consultation!