By now, news that Americans will need ETIAS to travel to Europe in 2024 has started to sink in. However, few Brits imagined when voting for Brexit back in January of 2020 that it would lead to travel complications for them down the road regarding their visits to Europe. But it has. And Canadians are in the same boat.

Commencing in 2024, British citizens will be required to apply for a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) approval to enter participating European countries on a short-term basis, that is for a visit of under 90 days, whether it may be for general tourism, business, transit or medical purposes. The ETIAS is intended to screen travelers arriving from overseas as a response to the global increase in terrorist activities. In 2024, citizens from the United Kingdom will be required to complete an ETIAS application prior to boarding an aircraft, sea carrier, or coach vehicle for Europe, and this includes travelers who will only be transiting in Europe en route to other destinations. Any British citizen that wishes to enter Europe for over 90 days, or for other purposes than those allowed under the ETIAS program, will need to apply for a Schengen visa. Canadians will face the same requirements when traveling to Europe.

British citizens are advised to complete their ETIAS application 96 hours prior to their departure date. They can expect their ETIAS application to normally be processed and approved within minutes, and the authorization to be sent by email in the form of a PDF document. There is no need to print or present any documents as the ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport details stored in the European Immigration system. Full details about the program can be found on the ETIAS requirements page or the ETIAS FAQ's page. Travelers holding a different passport or travel document, such as British subjects, British overseas citizens, or British protected persons will be required to apply for a full Schengen visitor visa and not ETIAS.

The benefits of an ETIAS approval are that ETIAS is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, it can be used for multiple entries under a 90-day duration, its fast authorization and electronic delivery, and it can be applied for on a desktop, tablet or mobile device.

Note that if an applicant is denied an ETIAS, the traveler can still apply for a full visitor visa. Also, an ETIAS approval does not guarantee entry to Europe. The final decision is made by the border security personnel of the European country of arrival.

To clarify, travel with a passport alone will not be enough. While Brits and Canadians, like Americans, will not have to apply through consulates to get European visas on their passports, they will have to go online to pre-clear their visits to Europe. That is the essence of what ETIAS is all about - a means to secure Europe from entries by bad actors. The United States currently employs a similar ESTA program for travelers to America from visa-exempt countries and Canada does so as well employing its eta program.