Can I Use an ETIAS to Travel to the Other EU Countries?

The ETIAS system has been established for travel into countries that are part of the Schengen Zone and for any other EU countries, travellers would need to check what the requirements are to enter those countries.

European countries that are not in the Schengen Zone do not use the ETIAS system, which includes:

Albania, Andora, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The United Kingdom and Vatican City.

If you are planning on travelling to any of the countries listed above, you will need to check what type of travel authorisation is required for travellers from your country, which may be a visa.

Following Brexit, where Britain voted to exit Europe, the United Kingdom were no longer part of Europe or the Schengen Zone, meaning that the ETIAS is not available to be used for visits to the UK. Travellers intending to visit London, or any other area in the UK would need to check what the UK visa requirements are for their country of citizenship to visit the UK.

It is worth noting that many of the visa requirements changed on January 1 2021, when new Brexit related laws were introduced. So, if you previously visited the UK without the requirement for a visa, this may no longer be the case, and you may need to apply for a visa for your next visit to the UK.

The ETIAS is available for visiting the following 26 countries:

If you are visiting several of these countries, then the same ETIAS can be used for travel around the Schengen Zone. The countries in the Schengen Zone can change, so a country in the EU that you want to visit in future could come under the ETIAS system in the future.

The ETIAS has been introduced to help to improve the security on the borders of the Schengen Zone to protect the area from terrorist attacks and other risks. The Schengen Zone authorities determine which countries are visa-exempt and are therefore eligible to apply for ETIAS, but this can change over time if there are increased levels of risk identified. Similarly, some countries that require a visa to visit the Schengen Zone may be reviewed and deemed to be suitable to qualify for ETIAS.

An ETIAS is valid for three years, or until the linked passport expires and within that time, the ETIAS holder may visit the Schengen Zone as many times as they wish, as long as the ETIAS is still valid and provided that they do not overstay the 90-day limit.