ETIAS FOR COLOMBIANS

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Colombian passport holders are not required to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area. This applies to Colombian travellers visiting Europe for up to 90 days.

Colombian residents will be permitted 90-day visa-free stays in the European Union for leisure, tourism, and business after the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, ETIAS, goes into force in November 2023.

ETIAS is a visa waiver programme developed by the European Commission with the goal of registering and controlling all visa-exempt passengers who visit Schengen Area nations. This programme was likewise created with the goal of boosting Europe’s border security for the benefit of both citizens and visitors.

The European Union has stated that Colombian residents of all ages who intend to visit the Schengen Area for business or tourism will be eligible to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver beginning in November 2023.

ETIAS Required

The following countries make up the Schengen Area, and will allow ETIAS holders entry and circulation between them:

  • EU Schengen
  • Non-EU Schengen States
  • Non-Schengen EU States
ETIAS Required

Non-EU Member States:

Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area:

ETIAS Required

Non-Schengen EU States

WHAT ARE COLOMBIAN NATIONALS REQUIRED TO DO BEFORE THEY TRAVEL TO EUROPE?

Colombians must have a valid passport to enter the Schengen Area. Colombian citizens will be forced to enrol in the ETIAS authorization once it is fully operational.

Colombians, as well as all other visa-free visitors to Europe, will be required to use the ETIAS electronic authorization system. When attempting to access the ETIAS online application, applicants must have the following prerequisites on hand:

  • A valid Colombian passport
  • A current email address to receive the approved ETIAS
  • A valid debit card or credit card to pay the ETIAS visa waiver fee

All ETIAS applicants, including Colombian nationals, must have a valid biometric passport that is machine-readable when applying for the ETIAS. This document is also required for travel within the European Union.

COLOMBIAN CITIZENS ETIAS APPLICATION

All Colombians travelling to any country inside the Schengen zone will be required to apply for an ETIAS. Colombian nationals will be required to use an online registration system before leaving their home country.

Colombian citizens will be required to provide the following information in order to register for ETIAS:

  • First, last, and middle name, as they appear on the bio page of the citizen’s passport
  • Passport data including the country and date of issue, and expiry date, as well as the complete passport number
  • Travel plans, including the first country the Colombian national intends to enter within the Schengen Area, their date of arrival as well as departure

Aside from the previously established ETIAS requirements for Colombian nationals, each Colombian traveller will be requested to answer some simple health-related questions during the online application for the European visa waiver.

If a Colombian citizen’s passport is about to expire, the traveller should renew it before registering in ETIAS. This is due to the fact that ETIAS is electronically tied to a single passport, the one used during the online application process.

Similarly, ETIAS cannot be transferred to a new passport once the existing one expires, nor to another passport of an eligible nationality held by the same citizen (in the case of travellers with dual citizenship).

Colombians travelling to the European Union with an ETIAS visa waiver are urged to use the same passport they used to apply for the ETIAS. The ETIAS visa waiver is valid for three years from the date it was authorised. However, because ETIAS is digitally linked to the passport used in the application procedure, if the passport expires before the three years are up, the electronic travel authorization is rendered null and void.

The ETIAS application for Colombians includes some basic security questions in its online version as well. The online process is simple and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete on your smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. Applicants should carefully review all information entered in the form for accuracy. This is due to the fact that any inaccuracies or discrepancies in the data may cause the processing time to be delayed or, in certain situations, result in the ETIAS being denied.

The European visa waiver for Colombian citizens is delivered to the email address supplied during the application process once granted.

ETIAS INFORMATION FOR COLOMBIAN CITIZENS

All Colombians travelling to Europe with an ETIAS visa waiver will be given 90-day entry into Schengen zone member nations within a 180-day term. ETIAS will be operational beginning in November 2023. ETIAS will become a requirement for all Colombian citizens visiting Europe, regardless of age. The ETIAS will be valid for three years.

The EU ETIAS visa waiver allows Colombian citizens to visit any European country that is a member of the Schengen zone. The EU Border Control screens all applications in order to cross-check information against multiple security databases, including Interpol and the ETIAS watchlist.

Colombian passport holders’ information supplied in their ETIAS Europe visa waiver application will be cross-checked against a number of security databases. These security databases are controlled by the same organisation that is in charge of ETIAS implementation: the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice, also known as eu-LISA.

Among the security databases used for screening are:

  • VIS, which mainly compiles visa information
  • SIS, which is used to identify individuals suspected to have a criminal record, missing people, and stolen assets
  • EURODAC, which compiles fingerprint data

All ETIAS-related security procedures are being created and implemented with the goal of identifying citizens who enter a Schengen Area country unlawfully or commit identity fraud, among other illicit behaviours.

As a result, if a Colombian passport holder’s application is detected by the system during its automatic check against the aforementioned security databases, the citizen’s form will be manually processed by ETIAS staff.

If a traveler’s ETIAS application requires manual review by the European Coast or Border Guard, the processing time will unavoidably be extended.

An ETIAS visa waiver for Colombian travellers is likely to be denied if the applicant has a history of serious criminal behaviour or deportation from another Schengen nation.

ETIAS FOR COLOMBIANS – FAQ

No, the ETIAS visa waiver only allows Colombian citizens to enter Schengen nations for tourist, transit, or business. ETIAS holders are not permitted to seek employment or work in Europe.

Colombian passport holders who are discovered working in Europe with an ETIAS may have their travel authorization cancelled and may be deported from the Schengen Area.

Colombian nationals who want to work in the Schengen Zone should contact the embassy or consulate of the country where they want to work. Colombian nationals will be informed by embassy or consulate authorities of the procedures needed to apply for an eligible work visa for the desired destination.

Colombian candidates with a history of minor offences may not be denied entry into the Schengen Area automatically.

Colombians asking for an ETIAS who have a serious criminal record and are deemed a threat to the well-being and public security of Schengen citizens will almost certainly be denied entry.

Colombian passport holders are permitted entrance as well as the freedom to travel and remain in all Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days out of a 180-day period without the need to apply for a visa. Both the 90-day and 180-day periods begin on the day the traveller arrives in European Union territory.

Colombian citizens will also be permitted to access all Schengen Area countries for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period with an ETIAS European visa waiver travel authorization.

Colombians are not required to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area for up to 90 days. Colombian visitors and business travellers can visit for up to three months without a visa.

This will not change when ETIAS is implemented in 2023. Colombians will still be able to travel to Europe without a visa, but they must register with ETIAS online before their trip.