JEDDAH — Saudi citizens are not required to obtain the European Travel Information and Authorization (ETIAS) for entering the Schengen Area of Europe. Saudis are required only a Schengen visa to enter Europe, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learnt from well-informed European sources based in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union. ETIAS is an electronic visa waiver due to be introduced in Europe effective from the year 2024. This is a completely electronic system that allows and keeps track of visitors from countries who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. It will permit eligible citizens to travel to and within the Schengen Area countries for short stays. There are many countries that are not in the European Union (EU) whose citizens can enter the EU Schengen Zone without needing a visa. Specifically, there are currently 59 countries that are in the EU but are visa-free. Citizens of these countries are allowed to go into countries in the Schengen Zone for business or travel purposes for up to 90 days. During these 90 days, these visitors cannot work or study but can engage in business and tourism activities. The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat. This travel authorization system will gather, keep track of, and update necessary information regarding visitors to determine whether it is safe for them to enter Schengen countries. The ETIAS, besides being used for business and tourist purposes, will also allow people to visit the Schengen countries for medical and transit reasons. In addition, it will be mandatory for all countries that are Schengen visa-free. The beneficiaries of this system account for about 1.4 billion people in around 60 countries and it allows its holder to enter 30 European countries, and the authorization will be valid for three years, or the passport expires. It is possible to apply for ETIAS from its official website, or through the ETIAS application on mobile phones. The application fee is seven euros, but some travelers who are under the age of 18 are exempt from this fee. As for Saudi citizens, they must obtain an entry visa from the European country, including Britain and Ireland. The Schengen visa allows citizen to stay for a period of 90 days within six months. The EU sources stressed that ETIAS is not a visa in the conventional sense, but rather a security measure to track the movement of travelers in the countries covered by the aforementioned procedure. The European authorities say that applying to ETIAS is done electronically only, and the response to the request usually takes a few minutes, but the competent authorities may extend the waiting period for their response to 14 days, to obtain more documents, and the wait may prolong to 30 days if the authorities decide to invite the applicant for a personal interview. The request is answered by an e-mail, and if the request is rejected, the rejection will be attached to the reasons justifying it, and this shall be accompanied by sufficient information on how to file an appeal against the rejection decision.
