If you are wondering who needs an ETIAS visa waiver to holiday in Spain, well this article will tell you everything you need to know.
The good news is the ETIAS visa waiver programme will not come into force until 2024, but find out more about the ETIAS visa and why it will make travel easier for many non-European passport holders check out this article.
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What is the ETIAS visa waiver?
The ETIAS visa – or the European Travel Information Authorisation System – is not a visa.
ETIAS is a Visa Waiver, meaning passport holders from certain countries outside the European Union and European Economic Area can apply for a Visa Waiver which will entitle them to visa-free travel into European countries for a 90-day in 180-day limit.
Who needs an ETIAS visa waiver to holiday in Spain?
You can see a complete list of countries here but it will apply to passport holders from the United Kingdom, the USA and Canada, Australia and New Zealand and many South American Countries.
You can also see on this page that other passport holders outside the European Union not listed will still have to apply for a tourist visa to visit Spain.
European passport holders will not require an ETIAS visa and can still travel around Europe freely with their European passports.
These lists will be updated as we go through 2023, but they will give you a good idea of who will need an ETIAS visa waiver to holiday in Spain.
To follow the official ETIAS visa waiver website, check here.
How much is an ETIAS visa waiver?
An ETIAS visa waiver will cost 7€ or around £6.75 which will cover you for visa-free travel for three years when travelling to European countries for less than 90 days in a 180-day limit.
Is the ETIAS visa waiver a good thing and why?
The ETIAS visa waiver will keep a more efficient record of how many days non-European passport holders spend in Europe.
The timing of the launch looks too like it will launch after new EES (Entry-Exit System) which will soon be installed in airports meaning that you will just need to digitally and manually scan your biometric passport as you pass through border control.
This will hopefully speed up the long queues currently experienced at Palma airport where non-EU citizens are experiencing long queues moving through passport control to get their passports physically stamped.
However, this could work in reverse and increase the time crossing the border. Time will tell.
Many years before the UK joined the EU, visas were once required to visit Europe, so this ETIAS visa waiver scheme is a great way to allow free(ish) travel for many countries without having to apply for individual visas for every trip.
Avoid the ETIAS visa waiver scam
The ETIAS visa waiver programme will not come into force until 2024. Please avoid being scammed if you receive any unsolicited emails telling you to apply for an ETIAS visa before travelling.
It could be the case that these emails will be circulated nearer to the Summer holiday season.
If you want to keep up to date with when the ETIAS visa waiver system will be implemented, then make sure you subscribe to the Mallorca Under the Sun Youtube channel where I will post updates.
Where to apply for the ETIAS visa waiver
You will be able to apply for the ETIAS visa waiver through this link here on the official ETIAS visa waiver website.
For the time being it’s just asking if you would like to receive email updates about its official launch date.
To find out more about what other costs you will incur if you are booking a holiday to Mallorca, then check out this article here all about the Spanish Tourist Tax, or Eco tax.
