How New Authorization System Will Affect Brazilians Traveling to Europe in 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Travelers from 62 world countries, including Brazil, who currently can enter and travel throughout the Schengen Area without any visa or permit, will need to obtain an authorization to enter starting from January 2021.

The authorization is called ETIAS, which is short for European Travel Information and Authorization System. It is an electronic system, through which the EU intends to keep track of visa-free visitors to the Schengen territory, one of many measures the EU has recently undertaken in a bid to enhance security.

The authorization will permit its holder to travel throughout the Schengen Area, which consists of 22 EU members, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The conditions for entry and stay in the Schengen area, as well as the permitted period of stay or purpose of entry, remain unchanged.

The scheme was supposed to be launched in January 2020, but last year the EU decided to postpone it to 2021, in order to give enough time to eu-LISA, the European Union Agency for Management of Large-Scale IT Systems, to establish the system.

What ETIAS means for frequent travelers

As soon as the ETIAS comes in force, every traveler planning to make a trip to any of the Schengen countries, will need to apply for the authorization, and obtain it.

While the EU claims that most applicants will get a response within minutes, the processing of some applications may take up to four weeks. Therefore, Brazilian travelers will have to apply well in advance, and not just a few minutes before taking a flight to Europe or at a Schengen port of entry.

As an ETIAS is valid for three years, Brazilians planning to visit a Schengen country only need to be very careful when applying for the first time. They can then use the same authorization for three years.

The application procedures

Despite the word “authorization” sounding frightening and something difficult to get, the application procedures for an ETIAS are very quick and easy.

Brazilians wishing to travel to Europe should make sure they apply in time for an ETIAS. Strong internet connection and enough funds to pay the €7 (R$32) fee are mandatory. The form contains simple questions: the applicant’s full name, date and place of birth, sex, passport and nationality details, valid email address, and phone number. In addition, it also asks about the traveler’s education, employment history, information on past trips to Europe, medical conditions, as well as criminal history and security information.

At the end, the applicant will need to pay a fee of €7 with their debit or credit card. Applicants under the age of 18 and those over 70 years old are exempt from the fee. The application will then be processed and the traveler will receive their ETIAS, or a reason for being rejected, in their email.

How the ETIAS is processed

As soon as a traveler clicks submit, the application will be checked against EU databases like the Schengen Information System, Visa Information System, EUROPOL data, SLTD & TDAWN, and EURODAC.

The systems will check the following:
• If the passport is part of any list of stolen documents.
• If the applicant has a history of failed entry to the EU.
• If the applicant has a history of overstaying in any Schengen country.
• Whether the applicant has a criminal record in any of the systems.

If the systems find out that applicants do not come within any of the above problem areas, they will receive their ETIAS within minutes. If the systems find out that an applicant does meet at least one of the above, the application will be further processed. This is the occasion when processing may take up to four weeks.

What if a Brazilian is rejected from getting an ETIAS

Every traveler applying for an ETIAS, including Brazilians, can be rejected if they do not meet the qualifying criteria to be permitted to enter the Schengen territory. If Brazilians who applied for an ETIAS are denied authorization, they have 96 hours to make an appeal. The appeal processing may take up to a month. If applicants are again rejected, they will have to apply for a regular Schengen visa.

(Source: ETIAS)