ETIAS Visa Waiver for Travelers from Vanuatu

The European Travel Information and Authorisation system has taken inspiration from the USA's system and was first planned in 2016. It aimed to make the EU a safer place after a terrible year where over 130 people died in terrorist attacks in Europe.

The 307,000 Pacific Islanders of Vanuatu will become an ETIAS nation when it comes into effect at the end of 2022. Find out below how the ETIAS visa waiver system will fundamentally change Vanuatuans' right to travel, get medical treatment, and work in the EU for short periods.

ETIAS visa waivers must be carried by all Vanuatans visiting the Schengen Zone as of January 2023. With this start date and potential delays in mind, applications will open later this year. As an ETIAS visa waiver is valid for short-term travel within three years, it is advised that Vanuatans apply for ETIAS as soon as possible.

A key restriction on the travel allowed under ETIAS is that it must be under three months in length, regardless of the purpose of travel. Beyond that, the ETIAS visa waiver gives a total right of travel.

The nations included within it are those of the Schengen Zone, and if the Vanuatan wants to go outside of the Schengen Zone, then they must arrange the right to go to those nations separately. For Vanuatans who are not familiar with the Schengen Zone, a full list of ETIAS Schengen states can be found below…

In order to be admitted entrance to the Schengen Zone via an ETIAS visa waiver, Vanuatans must fulfil the following requirements by proving they are…

Proving to the EU that they fulfill all of these requirements will require a Vanuatan to adequately fill out the rigorous application form that the ETIAS administration has created.

The EU has been even more rigorous with its plans to cross-reference all Vanuatan applicant's data with various police databases. These cross-references will leave no stone unturned, and Vanuatans must be extra careful not to tell any mistruths on their application.

Any Vaunuatans with terrorist connections will run into difficulties on this application section. The form will interrogate them on their terrorist affiliations, and will force them to raise any convictions for terrorist activities in the last 25 years. The EU has brought in near-identical measures to make it hard for Vanuatans with connections with human trafficking to gain an ETIAS visa waiver.

The ETIAS administration is similarly strict when preventing Vanuatans who are criminals from entering the Schengen area. The application asks Vanuatans to detail all criminal convictions they have had in the last 15 years, regardless of the severity of the crime.

The last concern that the EU has in terms of its citizens' safety is their health. The ETIAS visa waiver system will protect this by asking all Vanuatans if they have any infectious diseases before awarding them an ETIAS. Vanuatans that carry deadly diseases may find it difficult to visit the EU as a result.

The final point that the EU plans to check with their application form is the right of the Vanuatan to travel, and they will do so by asking for a biometric passport and proof of address. The latter must be with an address in Vanuatu.

Most Vanuatans will be awarded an ETIAS visa simply by fulfilling ETIAS requirements and completing their application properly. The EU will email Vanuatans that makes errors during the application process with a full list of the changes they must make. Most Vanuatans will be comfortable doing so within the ten days granted.

However, just four days is granted for the 5% of Vanuatans who will have their application rejected to clear up any discrepancies. Their emailed rejection will be accompanied by instructions for how they can make their appeal. Having done so, Vanuatans must wait up to four weeks for an answer. Occasionally, a video interview will be required if the Vanuatan's appeal is insufficient to answer all questions.