Depending on our country of origin, it may be necessary to comply with some migratory requirements when traveling to another nation. In the case of the United States and Canada, some travelers must have the ESTA and eTA permits, respectively, to enter, while in Europe, it is essential to have the ETIAS permit.
Both the ESTA, eTA, and ETIAS are considered travel authorization for those who are exempt from visa for these nations, meaning that there is no need to go through a visa application process at the embassy and attend an appointment as in a traditional situation, but rather a simple process that is usually done online to receive approval and be able to travel.
The ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is a permit that must be held by anyone entering the United States by air or sea. Its purpose is to pre-evaluate travelers before they are granted permission to board with destination to the country.
It is most advisable to make the ESTA application at least 75 hours before the trip. The process is done online by filling out a form available on the official website of the United States Customs and Border Protection and paying a fee of 44.95 euros. After following the steps to send the form, it only remains to wait for the notification by email that the ESTA has been approved and then it will have a validity of 2 years or until the passport expires.
In the case of Canada, visa-exempt travelers must apply for the eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization), which is valid for 5 years – or until the passport expires – and can be requested online in a few minutes with minimal requirements.
Completing the form takes only 5 to 10 minutes and the response on approval is received by email in a maximum time of 72 hours. Once it is approved, the validity begins to run and allows you to stay for up to 180 consecutive days in the country.
To apply for the eTA, you need to have a valid passport, an email address and a debit or credit card to pay the fee of 4.82 euros.
The ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) will become a required requirement starting in November 2023 for those who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area.
Like the two authorizations mentioned previously, the ETIAS can be processed online. The first step is to complete a request form which takes approximately 10 minutes to fill out with personal, identification, and biometric information, which can vary depending on the country from which the request is being made.
ETIAS will only cost €7 per application. The fees apply to adults between the ages of 18 and 70. Minors and travelers over 70 years of age will not have to pay any fees. This fee has valid for 3 years and allows a stay of 90 days in the Schengen area, which encompasses 27 nations: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
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