ETIAS FOR PARAGUAYANS

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Paraguayan passport holders are not required to apply for a visa to enter the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days. To gain entry into the European Union, all you need is a valid passport.

This visa-free status for travellers from the Republic of Paraguay will be maintained in the future. However, travelling to Europe will soon include an additional step.

Paraguayan visitors entering the EU for tourism, leisure, or business will be able to complete an online registration to request an ETIAS beginning in November 2023. ETIAS will be required for entry into the Schengen Area.

ETIAS is an acronym that stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. It is being implemented to improve the screening and control of visa-exempt travellers entering the Schengen area.

The European Union is developing the system with the goal of improving border control while also protecting the safety of its residents and visitors. All Paraguayans planning to travel to Europe will need to apply online for a visa waiver.

EUROPE VISA WAIVER REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZENS OF PARAGUAY

Currently, citizens of Paraguay who wish to visit Europe for a short period of time do not need to apply for a Schengen visa. Paraguayans can stay in any of the member countries for up to 90 days after arriving.

Beginning in November 2023, the ETIAS will be the only requirement for Paraguayans travelling to EU Schengen member countries.

Paraguayans will be able to apply for the ETIAS visa waiver through a simple online application system. Paraguayan citizens who apply for travel authorization should have the following items on hand before departing for Europe:

  • A Paraguayan passport with a validity of 3 months upon arrival
  • A valid debit or credit card to pay for the ETIAS visa waiver fee
  • A current email address where the approved ETIAS will be sent
  • Paraguayan travelers should always carry a valid ID when visiting Europe.

WHICH COUNTRIES CAN PARAGUAY ETIAS HOLDERS TRAVEL TO?

ETIAS Required

ETIAS holders from the Republic of Paraguay will be granted entry and the right to circulate freely between the following member countries

ETIAS Required

Non-EU Member States:

Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area:

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

Non-Schengen EU States

The information provided by an applicant is screened and cross-checked against security databases. All Paraguayans who apply for the ETIAS visa waiver should be aware that the system must verify their information.

ETIAS APPLICATION FOR PARAGUAYANS

People from Paraguay should know that ETIAS is scheduled to be fully operational from November 2023.

The European visa waiver can be obtained by applying online and filling out a simple form with the traveler’s biographic and travel information, which includes:

  • First name, as it appears on the passport
  • Last name, as it appears on the passport
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Passport number
  • Country of issuance of passport
  • Passport issuance date
  • Passport expiration date
  • Intended country of entry into the Schengen Area

Paraguayans will be required to provide information from their passport, as well as their full name, date of birth, and address information, during the ETIAS application process. The applicant must provide health and travel information.

The ETIAS application for Paraguayans will also include security questions that must be answered truthfully. The payment, which should be made with a credit or debit card, is the final step in the travel authorization application process.

TRAVELING FROM PARAGUAY TO EUROPE WITH ETIAS

An approved ETIAS visa waiver is valid for 3 consecutive years, as long as the passport entered into the application form remains valid.

This means that Paraguayans with an approved ETIAS can enter the Schengen zone indefinitely. Paraguayans will be able to travel freely in the region as long as they do not stay for more than 90 days in a row.

The ETIAS visa waiver is linked to a single passport electronically. Similarly, even if both passports belong to the same citizen, an ETIAS cannot be transferred to a second passport.

This is especially important for ETIAS applicants with dual citizenship, who should choose a single passport to both travel on and apply for the visa waiver with. Additionally, if the passport associated to an ETIAS expires before the visa waiver’s 3-year validity runs out, the Paraguayan traveler will be required to apply for a new European visa waiver.

The ETIAS will be available to all Paraguyans, including children, beginning in November 2023. Minors’ parents and legal guardians will be able to apply on their children’s behalf simply by filling out the ETIAS application form with the child’s information.

A Paraguayan ETIAS holder may stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 consecutive days per trip within a 180-day period. This means that once the 90-day limit is reached, travellers from Paraguay will be required to spend the next 90 days outside the EU in order to re-enter the territory.

ETIAS FOR PARAGUAYANS – FAQ

While an ETIAS allows holders from the Republic of Paraguay to travel to Schengen countries for business purposes, it does not allow them to look for work or work in the EU.

Paraguayan passport holders who wish to work in the European Union must contact the embassy of the country in which they wish to reside for information on work visa applications. Because each country may have slightly different regulations or requirements, citizens of Paraguay are advised to apply for an ETIAS and visit several Schengen countries before deciding where they want to live and work. Once a decision has been made, Paraguayans can apply for a work visa at the embassy or consulate of the desired country.

If ETIAS holders are discovered working in Europe, they may face serious consequences such as having their visa waiver revoked, being fined, or even being deported.

An approved ETIAS grants citizens of Paraguay multiple entries into any and all of the Schengen member nations during its 3-year total validity. The maximum stay allowed by an ETIAS visa waiver is of 90 consecutive days per trip within a 180-day period. This means that Paraguayan ETIAS holders need to exit the Schengen Area once the 90 days run out, towards a non-Schengen destination.

This also means that the citizen will have to spend the next 90 days outside the Schengen territory. Once this wait period runs out, the traveler will be granted another 90 days that they may spend within the EU.

Passport holders from Paraguay who wish to spend more than 90 days in the Schengen Area are advised to visit a European embassy or consulate that represents the country they wish to stay in to request a long-term visa. Obtaining a residence visa is done in person at the embassy or consulate and requirements may vary from one Schengen nation to another. A long-term visa will ensure the citizen has permission to legally stay in Europe for over the 90-day period granted by an ETIAS.

Overstaying an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe may entail consequences such as fines, revocation, and in some cases, removal from the EU territory. This may also affect a citizen’s possibilities of obtaining another ETIAS visa waiver in the future, since their overstay will be recorded in the ETIAS system.

Citizens of the Republic of Paraguay holding a criminal record may still be able to enter Europe.

The decision to approve an ETIAS application will be based on the nature of the offence, its recentness, and whether it poses a risk to the well-being and safety of residents and visitors from member countries. The ETIAS application requires all applicants’ data to be screened against multiple European and international security databases.

If the citizen’s ETIAS request raises any red flags during the automatic processing of their application, their data will be manually updated and examined by European authorities to decide whether or not they are eligible for a visa waiver. When an ETIAS application is refused, the foreign national is notified via the email address they supplied on their visa waiver application. The communication will contain the reason for ETIAS denial and will provide the citizen the option to appeal the decision if they so want.