BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Starting next year, all Bruneian citizens will have to obtain the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) prior to entering any of the European Union or Schengen member countries, according to the Schengen Visa Information website.
Bruneian citizens can currently travel to Europe’s Schengen zone without a visa or any prior authorisation. It functions in the same way as the American ESTA (Electronic System For Travel Authorisation).
According to the website, however, starting in 2024, Bruneian citizens must have an ETIAS to visit the following 30 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Consequently, Bruneian citizens will also need an ETIAS to visit the following European microstates with open borders: Monaco (via France), San Marino (via Italy) and Vatican City (via Italy).
An ETIAS will cost EUR7 (equivalent to BND10.30 for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 70.
Minors and applicants over 70 years old will receive an ETIAS free of charge.
This fee is charged when you submit your application and it’s the only fee you have to pay.
According to the ETIAS website, the authorisation will be linked to the traveller’s passport, and will be valid for three years or until the passport expires.
The ETIAS serves to keep a record of who enters and leaves the Schengen Zone. According to its website, it is not a visa requirement and does not guarantee entry upon arrival.
Border guards will still check passports and other documents to ensure that travellers meet the entry conditions. The Schengen Zone is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders.
With an ETIAS, Bruneian citizens can stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days within a 80-day-period. The ETIAS is valid for three years, during which time they can travel to Europe multiple times.
To apply for an ETIAS, the public will have to access the ETIAS website or mobile application.
The website will be launched when the ETIAS is operational.
Other than Brunei citizens, 58 other countries and territories – including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United States and Canada – will also have to apply for the document.
According to the ETIAS website, the document was introduced by the European Commission in November 2016 and legislated in September 2018 to improve the security of EU member states by capturing data on travellers who currently visit the region visa-free.
The website states: “The objective is to identify individuals who pose security threats before they are able to travel to the Schengen area.”
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