ETIAS Visa Waiver for Travelers from Ukraine

The EU has once more affirmed its support for Ukraine in conflicts with Russian separatists by including it in the planned ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System.) This visa waiver system aims to provide easier access to the ETIAS Schengen countries for short-term travel for residents of the selected 62 ETIAS nations. These have been selected based on their stability and their official ties with the EU.

Ukrainians should read this article and visit ETIAS.org to better understand the ramifications of ETIAS for how they visit the Schengen zone.

ETIAS is unusual in that it is only required for visitors entering the EU by plane. Ukrainians who take the 11-hour train from Kyiv to Berlin, for example, will require no ETIAS visa waiver. However, they will still require a passport and will still only be allowed to remain in the EU for 90 days. Staying for longer will result in the Ukrainian getting in trouble with the border force.

Likewise, the ETIAS visa waiver only grants access for three months. It is intended for visiting only, and longer residencies will require a full visa and residency permit.

ETIAS will also only be in place as of January 1st, 2023. All short-term travel to the Schengen area after that will require an ETIAS visa waiver.

The countries that require an ETIAS visa waiver to visit are also very specific. The EU has united all Schengen nations - including EFTA nations and defacto Schengen states - in agreement on this travel policy. The nations that ETIAS grants admittance to are…

Accessing this stunning array of countries for the exciting period of three months without requiring a full visa will require some legwork for Ukrainians. When they apply for ETIAS online they must ensure they fulfill all of the ETIAS requirements. These need the Ukrainian to be medically and legally safe and have the right to travel outside of Ukraine.

The application form is the tool for this job and can be found easily online. It is divided into a questions section and a documentation section. The questions section covers the safety requirement in both a criminal and medical sense.

The application form tackles most importantly the risk posed by terrorists. It asks Ukrainians if they have, or have had, affiliations with any terrorist groups. This is furthered by enquiries about if they have any terrorist convictions 25 years before their planned travel, or ever taken trips to conflict zones. To assess if the Ukrainian is likely to commit criminal activity while in the Schengen area, they will be asked if they have had any convictions in the past 15 years. Finally, the ETIAS system works to preserve public health within the EU by asking if the Ukrainian carries any infectious diseases. All answers given will be cross-referenced with an array of databases, and it is unlikely that any mistruths will go unnoticed.

ETIAS requirements are also fulfilled through the required documentation, which is twofold. Ukrainians must include a valid copy of a passport in their application. It will prove they have the right to travel outside of Ukraine if it is in date and has been officially assigned by the Ukrainian government. They must also prove their Ukrainian residency with a suitable proof of address. This could be utility bills or bank statements and must show their residency for the previous three months.

These standard ETIAS requirements must be fulfilled by all applicants, regardless of their age, status, or nationality. However, there are some non-standard ETIAS requirements if an application raises concerns. These concerns can range from minor, such as clarification is needed on one of the answers. In this case, the applicant will have ten days to provide any additional information or documentation rejected. Likely, these Ukrainians will swiftly have their application approved after doing this

More serious discrepancies will lead to a rejection, and the Ukrainian will have 96 hours to appeal the decision. They must similarly provide any requested information and documentation. These rejected Ukrainians are more likely to be invited to a video interview so that an ETIAS administrative worker can rigorously assess whether a Ukrainian should be given an ETIAS visa waiver.