Recently we have heard a lot about the Schengen visa and the ETIAS permit that we will need to get to get to Europe. We weren't completely aware of the whole Schengen thing before, but it turns out it's nothing new at all. So what is the expected change and why do those who have a European passport now get a big advantage over foreigners who do not have a European passport? Let's sort this out once and for all.
What is the Schengen Agreement?
The Schengen Agreement defines a Schengen visa that allows entry to the European Union countries for those who wish to stay in them for up to 90 days out of a 180-day period (about 3 months in each half year) when the purpose of the stay is tourism or business and not work, studies or residence. Until today, foreigners who stayed in Europe for a period of less than 3 months did not need any visa, but this situation is about to change.
Starting in 2023 (the final date is not yet known, but this is the working assumption at the moment) foreigners who do not have a European passport will need a special entry permit called ETIAS (which is actually the name of a European system for the identification and control of foreign tourism) before crossing the border into one of the countries of the Schengen Agreement ,these are almost all EU countries: Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Iceland , Malta, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The new European system ETIAS works in a similar way to such systems in the US or Canada and the goal is to allow tourists to issue a visit permit. The whole story started because of the security concern and the refugee crisis of 2016. The European countries felt that they were interested in much tighter control over those who entered the territory of the Union. The electronic entry permit will be necessary as stated for anyone who enters one of the European countries and does not have a European passport of any kind, or a passport of another country included in the Schengen Agreement.
What is the difference between a Schengen visa and a European passport?
The Schengen Agreement was signed between several European countries to allow free and open transit between them. Basically, the treaty turns all the signatory countries into one country that once you have a Schengen visa you can move between these countries freely, which was initially true only for citizens who had a European passport of one of the signatory countries. Initially, only five countries of Central Europe were signatories to the treaty: France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Today there are almost 30 countries that have signed it. It is interesting that the Schengen Agreement preceded the agreement of the European Union itself by several years, and several countries that sign the agreement are not part of the Union at all (for example, Iceland). There are also countries in Europe that are not signatories to the Schengen Agreement: Great Britain, Ireland and more.
Of course, in this context it is important to note that the European passport does not exactly coincide with the Schengen visa because there are European countries that are not part of the Schengen Agreement and there are countries in the Schengen Agreement that are not part of the European Union. But it is understood that the treaty treats holders of a British passport differently, for example, compared to holders of non-European passports at all.
The meaning in making an ETIAS visa
Until today, foreigners did not need anything special to enter Europe. But starting in 2023 the rules of the Schengen Agreement will apply to us and we will have to issue an electronic permit to visit one of the countries included in the Schengen Agreement. The certificate is for a nominal fee and is issued via the Internet in a fairly simple and fast way. The approval will be valid for 90 days out of every six months. It is important to note that it does not replace a work, student or businessman visa, but is intended for tourism purposes only. Most of those who fill out the form correctly, of course, receive the approval.
Basically the purpose of this approval is the prevention of illegal immigration. The ETIAS permit does not, of course, give permission to work in EU countries.
The advantages of the European passport
In the current situation, it is even more evident that the European passport grants a very wide range of rights to the citizens who carry the passport. In some countries, you can get the European passport after several years in which you live there legally, as a resident. If you have a European passport, from a country included in the Schengen Convention, for example Slovakia, of course you will not need a Schengen visa or an ETIAS permit to travel to Europe and move freely between all countries that are signatories to the Convention. Of course, if you have a European passport, you are also allowed to work, study or open a business within the borders of the European Union without special permits.
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