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The EU plans to introduce a €7 (£6) EU visa waiver for some non-EU citizens, including Britons, by summer 2025.
Under the new rules, visitors from non-EU countries, including the UK, will need to apply for a waiver, similar to the US's ESTA, before traveling to 30 European countries.
The exemption covers travel to all EU member states except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as the Schengen area, which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Here's what you need to know about how the new regime will operate and when it starts.
How does the EU Visa Waiver Scheme work?
The new system will be called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias).
Currently, visitors from the UK can visit the EU's border-free Schengen area for up to 90 days every 180 days without a visa.
This also applies to nationals of more than 60 non-EU countries, including the United States, Japan and Australia.
Under the Etias scheme, this changes.
Visitors from non-EU countries on the list must apply for a visa exemption to travel to the EU for the same 90-day period every 180 days; longer stays require a visa.
This document will be checked by border guards when crossing EU borders.
The full list of non-EU countries eligible for Etias is published by the EU.
The visa waiver is valid for three years and allows unlimited visits.
This will be linked to your passport, so if your passport has less than 3 years validity, you will need to apply for a new Etias when you get a new passport.
How much does Etias cost?
The exemption will cost 7 euros for most people, but the EU Commission says it is “much cheaper” than the US ESTA, which cost $21 (18.80 euros, 16 pounds) as of 19 July this year.
This rate applies to people aged between 18 and 70 years old.
The exemption is free for children and those aged 70 and over.
When does the Etias scheme launch?
The EU has not yet announced a specific start date for the exemption scheme.
The project is scheduled to begin “in early 2025,” according to the company's website.
The EU has encouraged all visitors to apply for a visa waiver, but said the ETIAS requirement would not initially come into force for “at least six months”.
A Home Office spokesman said the UK expected the EU to provide further details about the introduction of the system “in due course”.
How does an exemption application work?
Passengers must apply online or through a mobile app, a form that the EU has described as a “necessary and minor procedure” that should take about 10 minutes to complete, officials said.
Details required in the application include passport information, as well as background questions about criminal history and health conditions.
The EU says more than 95% of applications are approved automatically within minutes, but it warns that in some cases it can take up to 72 hours.
In exceptional circumstances your application may be refused or may take up to four weeks to process.
Why is this system being introduced?
The EU has decided to tighten border controls in response to the migrant crisis and fears of terrorism.
The Etias system will “strengthen security checks for people travelling visa-free to the EU”.
According to the EU website, ETIAS will help EU countries “assess the potential risks” posed by people entering their borders.
According to its website, the aim is to prevent “transnational crime and terrorism.”
What is EES?
Another EU border system, the Entry/Exit System (ESS), is due to open on November 10 after multiple delays.
Commissioner Johansson said the EES system would mean strict digital border controls at “all airports, ports and roads entering Europe”.
The rule would “help us know if people are staying over the long term” and “make it harder for criminals, terrorists and Russian spies to use fake passports,” she said.
Under the EES system, people entering the EU must register with their fingerprints, photograph and passport details.
This initial registration is valid for three years and must be validated at every border crossing during that period. It replaces passport stamps.
But long queues are expected, and experts have warned that EES could add at least two minutes to processing times per passenger, up from the current 45 seconds.
