How to apply for Etias Spain should be at the top of your mind if you plan to visit the country by next year when the new EU travel policy goes into force. If you can enter Spain without a visa due to your nationality, you definitely need ETIAS in the coming months.
Only travelers from visa free countries with the European Travel Information Authorization System will be allowed to visit Spain or any Schengen country for that matter.
ETIAS is not a visa, as many think; it is a visa waiver and security vetting system that records travelers traveling in and out of the Schengen Area. Come the start of 2024, ETIAS will go into force.
How Will The System Work?
ETIAS will work in the same way as the US equivalent, ETAS. Once an applicant submits their information online, the system will scan it across several security databases managed by law enforcement agencies. Successful applicants will be issued the ETIAS permit, valid for 3 years.
This document is for short visits to family and friends, tourism, and for short business trips. In addition, visitors will be allowed to visit and stay in Spain or Europe for up to 90 days.
Launch Time
The European Commission has announced that ETIAS will become fully operational in 2024 but will be open for testing from May 2023. During the testing phase, travelers may enter without it, but once it goes fully operational in 2024, travelers from visa free countries will not be allowed.
How To Apply For ETIAS Spain?
The application process takes about 10 minutes, and it is very easy. Unlike visas, only a few details are needed, and the security checks take a few minutes. If your information triggers an alert, it will be passed to the Spanish National Unit, and the officials will evaluate your application and decide whether you should be granted entry. Applications that do not trigger a security alert will be granted within minutes.
VisaHQ will be at the forefront of helping travelers obtain ETIAS in the coming months by providing them with a safe, secure, and easy-to-use platform. You can apply for Etias by doing the following:
Visit VisaHQ
Choose Spain as your destination
Choose your country
Complete the application form
Attach documents
Pay the application fee with a credit or debit card
Submit for vetting
Bear in mind that this authorization only allows you to travel to Spain, but the ultimate right to allow entry rests with Spanish immigration officers. If they discover that you provided false or wrong information to get the document, you will not be allowed to enter the country. Hence make sure you only provide valid information.
Where Can I Visit With Spanish ETIAS?
You can visit lots of countries in Europe with this document. There are 26 Schengen countries in Europe, and with a Spain ETIAS, you can visit any of them. There are no limitations to the countries you can visit, provided you can afford the expenses and don’t stay for more than 90 days combined.
However, a few European countries do not recognize ETIAS either because they are not signatories to the Schengen Agreement or because they are yet to meet the conditions for ETIAS.
These countries are Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. This may change in the coming months, so keep your eyes on new information as they unfold.
Special ETIAS Conditions
Note that this document is not a visa and should not be treated as such; it is only a travel permit for visitors from visa free countries. Secondly, it is not a work or study permit, so students coming to Spain to study must obtain a Schengen visa.
Those coming for employment must also apply for a work visa which will qualify them for a work permit. It is an immigration violation to be caught working in Spain or any Schengen country, for that matter, ETIAS.
Also, note that this document is only for short-term visits and not long-term ones. It is non-transferable once issued, and it lasts for 3 years.
ETIAS Requirements
You will need the following to apply for ETIAS:
Biometric information
Valid passport
Passport information
Return flight ticket
Information about trips to war torn countries or countries with pandemic outbreaks
Ensure you provide only valid information; otherwise, your application will be rejected. Even if you get ETIAS, you can still be turned back at the airport if Spanish immigration finds out you obtained the permit using false information.
How to apply for ETIAS is simple. Head to VisaHQ to submit your application now and get yours in minutes so you can visit Spain or any other European country.