KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — Starting next year, Malaysians will have to obtain an online document known as ETIAS before entering any of the European Union or Schengen member countries.
According to the EU’s official ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) website, the authorisation will be linked to the travellers’ passport where it will be valid for three years or until the passport’s expiry date in which a new ETIAS must be obtained.
With an ETIAS, Malaysians can stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.
The ETIAS is not a visa requirement and is only meant to keep a record of who enters and leaves the Schengen Zone.
According to the website, it does not guarantee entry upon arrival. A border guard will ask to check your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions.”
The application, which must be done online, will cost €7 (RM36) for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 70, while minors and applicants over 70 years old will receive an ETIAS free of charge.
The EU said that most applications for the authorisation will be processed within minutes but some may take up to four days for a decision.
Therefore, the EU advised travellers to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation well in advance of any planned journey.
ETIAS travel authorisation will be required from 2024 to enter Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Currently, Malaysia is one of 63 nations that are visa-exempt to enter most European countries.
