- Our unique analysis depicts the progression of interest in ETIAS over the course of 2021, broken down by country of origin and month.
- Check out the next – and last – phases in this year’s ETIAS implementation.
10-11-2022
ETIAS is being prepared for by countries all around the world. The system will be operational in November 2023, altering the way millions of people travel to Europe each year.
According to data gathered by etiasvisatoeu.com, international interest in ETIAS is growing as the launch date approaches. Travelers from over 50 visa-free countries are bracing for changes in EU border policy.
This report identifies who is preparing for ETIAS and explains the final EU preparations that are currently underway.
TOP 10 COUNTRIES MOST INTERESTED IN ETIAS
*Please keep in mind that the ETIAS start date stated in this infographic is no longer correct, since the visa waiver has been delayed until November 2023.
According to this infographic, ETIAS receives the greatest attention in North, Central, and South America. The United States of America accounted for more than 20% of all searches. Brazil was the highest ranked Latin American country, accounting for nearly 11% of total interest.
TRAVELLERS FROM THE USA MOST CONCERNED WITH ETIAS
Passport holders from the United States account for a sizable share of all international arrivals in Europe. According to the European Travel Commission, almost 36 million Americans visited Europe in 2019.
Americans are interested in learning more about the ETIAS entry requirement because they will soon be required to visit Italy, France, and other EU destinations.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICANS WILL ALSO NEED ETIAS FOR EUROPE
According to a 2020 Eurostat research, the number of nights spent in the EU by Central and South American visitors more than quadrupled between 2007 and 2017, reaching about 30,000 nights.
According to the same data, people of Central and South America spent 2% of their nights in EU tourist lodging businesses in 2019. This is a larger proportion than Oceania and Africa.
Tourists from nations like as Brazil, Columbia, and Venezuela may soon need ETIAS to visit Europe.
BRAZIL
According to a European Travel Commission report, there were around 5 million visitor arrivals in Europe from Brazil in 2019.
Portugal is a popular European destination for Brazilian visitors, thanks in part to the similar language.
COLOMBIA
According to the World Tourism Organization’s databases, France was the preferred destination for about 45,000 Colombians in 2018.
From November 2023, thousands of Colombian tourists and business travellers will require ETIAS to go to France and other popular locations.
VENEZUELA
Venezuelans accounted for little under 5% of all etiasvisatoeu.com customer enquiries in 2021.
Local news channels have lately provided information regarding ETIAS for Venezuelans as the launch date approaches.
Increased news attention has increased Venezuelans’ knowledge of anticipated changes to European immigration rules.
BRITISH CITIZENS DISCOVER NEW EU TRAVEL RULES
Aside from the Americas, UK people were the most interested in ETIAS, accounting for more than 12% of all enquiries.
The way British passport holders travel to EU locations has altered after Brexit.
Third-country people, including UK citizens, can now enter the Schengen Area without a visa for a short period of time.
British visitors considering their first vacation to Europe after the Brexit transition period ends should familiarise themselves with the new laws and regulations. These will eventually incorporate ETIAS applications.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia is the only Asian country on the list of the top ten nations with the most interest in ETIAS. Malaysia accounted for just under 2% of all user enquiries to EtiasVisa.com.
Bilateral agreements with specific countries allow Malaysians to stay in Europe beyond the 90-day limit set by ETIAS.
This makes Europe an even more appealing option for Malaysian tourists, which explains their enthusiasm for the new visa waiver.
INTEREST IN ETIAS ROSE THROUGHOUT 2021
According to data collected by etiasvisatoeu.com professionals, interest in ETIAS has continuously climbed throughout 2021.
February had the least amount of interest in ETIAS, with the fewest user queries. February is often not the most popular time of year to travel, and COVID-19 limitations were still considerably reducing tourism in February 2021.
A surge in June corresponds with the commencement of the summer vacation season. The EU Digital COVID Certificate was also introduced in June 2021, and it helped to alleviate certain travel restrictions.
According to the data, November was the month with the highest user enquiries to etiasvisatoeu.com. This might be explained by travellers anticipating the holiday season, with Austria and Italy famous winter ski destinations.
Furthermore, as the year came to a conclusion and the ETIAS implementation date approached, more media sources began notifying their audiences about the approaching EU visa waiver.
The higher trend seen on the graph can be explained in part by greater knowledge of ETIAS as a consequence of increased press coverage – and even misunderstanding – in qualified nations.
BRITISH POLITICIAN SAYS ETIAS NEEDS EXPLAINING
British lawmaker Baroness Sally Hamwee wrote to the Home Secretary in August 2021, claiming that UK residents were misinformed about ETIAS and the Entry/Exit System.
Several news sites published pieces highlighting the politician’s worries, enhancing reader awareness of ETIAS.
This caused some confusion about the purpose of ETIAS and how it will affect UK citizens travelling to the EU.
Readers should note that the new EU visa waiver is not targeted specifically at Brits. The ETIAS requirements for UK citizens are no different than those of other countries whose citizens will be able to obtain an ETIAS travel authorization.
UNITED STATES VISA WAIVER PROGRAM REPORT ANNOUNCES ETIAS
In October 2021, the Congressional Research Service of the United States issued updated information on the Visa Waiver Program.
The article mentions ETIAS and provides a brief explanation of what it entails for US travellers.
These kinds of ETIAS preparations proposed by non-EU governments help to explain the gradual increase in interest in visa waivers.
DIGITALISATION: AN EU PRIORITY FOR 2022
During 2021, the European Union also issued updates and information.
The EU Legislative Priorities for 2022 announcement and accompanying press release demonstrate how ETIAS fits into ambitions to create a more digital and resilient Europe.
The trend is likely to continue until 2022, with the launch date rapidly approaching and greater options for foreign travel.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO ETIAS
Following years of planning, the new travel authorization should be available in November 2023, assuming no new delays are announced.
The EU Member States are currently finalising ETIAS preparations; the infographic above depicts the steps that must be completed in the coming months.
There will be an implementation period to ensure a smooth transition, as shown.
HOW INTEREST IN ETIAS EVOLVES: FROM 2016 TO 2022
ETIAS PROPOSAL WELCOMED
The United States supported the ETIAS plan and the related security benefits in 2016.
The Air Transport Agreement resulting from the nineteenth meeting of the US-EU Joint Committee, on the other hand, stressed that ETIAS should not be a burden on carriers.
ETIAS AGREEMENT REACHED
Following an ETIAS agreement between the Council Presidency and European Parliament members in 2018, international interest grew.
On April 25, 2018, a press release defined how the system would function and outlined the following phases.
ETIAS DELAYED
ETIAS was postponed until November 2023 in order to give more time to assure compatibility with other systems, particularly the EES. The timetable adjustment gained media notice.
ETIAS interest is likely to rise in the coming months as Member States and qualifying nations finalise preparations for the system’s launch.
ETIAS 2021 REPORT: CONCLUSIONS
According to etiasvisatoeu.com statistics, travellers are increasingly preparing for ETIAS: a continuous increase in user enquiries was observed in 2021.
Throughout the year, third-country citizens asked for additional information regarding the new European entrance criteria, with the majority of user requests coming from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.
Final preparations for ETIAS are already underway in all EU member countries. National Units are being formed, and carriers are signing up for the EES and ETIAS systems.
ETIAS will play a critical role in European tourism beginning in November 2023. Eligible travellers should keep up to date on the latest announcements.