Schengen Area | Immigration | Confirmed ETIAS delay until mid-2025

Immigration & Business Travel

Schengen | Confirmed ETIAS delay until mid-2025

Summary
The European Union has postponed the launch date of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) until May 2025. The information has been confirmed by the European Commission and the new timeline is published in their official website.

The Change
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a digital pre-travel authorisation that gives an individual ‘permission to travel’ to the Schengen zone.

The revised launch date is now anticipated to be in May 2025. Additional delays may occur if the EES (Entry-Exit-System) is not operational by that time. The expectation is that ETIAS will only enter into operation five to six months after the EES activation.

What this means for employees
Visa free nationals to the Schengen zone will not require an ETIAS until mid-2025. Employers have now more time to prepare for this upcoming change. See our recent alert on the UK’s ETA and EU ETIAS here for a link to our detailed FAQ on this topic.

How we can help
The ETIAS places all administrative and compliance burdens on the traveller, but nevertheless presents risks to employers. Business travel may be disrupted, there is some likelihood that employees assume ETIAS grants a right to work, there will be greater emphasis on days in the Schengen area and a chance of employees being caught out by scams. Similar risks exist for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme (ETA).

Your precise strategy will depend on capacity and volumes of business travellers to Europe. Options
include:

1. Do nothing. Accept the risk that some travel will be disrupted.
2. Communicate only. No change to processes but let employees know that ETA and ETIAS exist and requirements must be adhered to.
3. Normalise ETA and ETIAS. Build ETA and ETIAS requirements into existing business travel systems and processes, plus accompanying policies.
4. Normalise and communicate ETA and ETIAS requirements. As above, plus a two year (and occasional) communication plan as the schemes are rolled out and lessons are learned.
5. Additional option: 1:1 support for complex cases and VIPs.

Our specialised Vialto Partners team of experts would be happy to help you develop this strategy.

Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Lindsey Barras
Immigration Partner and ETIAS Lead

Scherezade Maestre
Senior Manager Business Travel & Global Immigration and ETA/ETIAS specialist

Awale Olad
UK Senior Manager

Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com