The EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) will launch on November 10, 2024The EES is a biometric system that will use digital photographs and fingerprints to register travellers from non-EU countries when they enter the European Union. The system will apply to both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travellers. The new rule requires visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including Canada, to get electronic travel authorization before entering 30 European countries. The next stage in the digitalization of the EU border process – the introduction of the ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors – would follow “quickly” and is due to go live in the first half of 2025. For more information on ETIAS for Canadian citizens, click here Travellers that are currently able to visit EU Schengen countries without a visa, will not need to apply for ETIAS until 2025. However, other travellers requiring a Schengen Visa to visit Europe for tourism, business or transit purposes will be unaffected by ETIAS. The system will require visitors from outside the EU to apply for and pay €7 (CAD $10.06) per person for a visa waiver before entering a country in the Schengen zone, which includes France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, among others. The visa allows non-EU citizens to stay in the EU and Schengen zone for up to 90 days. It’s valid for three years after getting it, so there's no need to reapply during that time. EES will collect border security and migration control data, including pictures for facial recognition and fingerprints, applicant's personal information, passport details, visa information, and border crossing history. According to ETIAS Canada, the data will be securely stored and encrypted, and will only be used by authorized personnel for security and migration purposes. Member countries will access the information to investigate and prevent terrorist threats and other criminal activity. |
