The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS Authorization Switzerland) is an electronic scheme that was created by the European Commission in 2016 and implemented into legislation in 2018.
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It will finally come into force in 2025, when all ETIAS Authorization Switzerland-eligible travellers will be required to apply for ETIAS approval before they are able to visit any destination within the Schengen zone. ETIAS eligible countries are countries such as the UK, whose citizens do not require a visa to enter the Schengen zone. People from other countries that do require Schengen visas will not be eligible to apply for ETIAS Switzerland, and all EU passport holders will not need to.
From 2025, every person travelling with a passport issued by a country that has a visa-exemption agreement with the EU, including the UK, will have to apply for pre-authorisation through ETIAS Authorization Switzerland if they wish to travel into the Schengen zone. Citizens of the UK will be relieved to learn that the online application is a fast and simple process. If a traveller has received ETIAS for Switzerland permission, they are not required to reapply for another three years, unless their associated passport expires before that time.
Currently, citizens of a long list of countries worldwide enjoy visa-free travel within the EU. Until now, these travellers have only needed a valid biometric passport to enter any destination withinthe Schengen region.However,this meant that almost anyone with a legitimate passport could enter Europe almost unhindered, which is a significant security problem, particularly considering the spate of terrorist attacks across Europe in recent years.
ETIAS was introduced primarily with these security considerationsin mind, making it an essentialstep in the travel process for all visa-free countries. This means that when ETIAS goes live in 2025, allBrits and other eligibletravellers will need to factor the ETIAS application into their travel planning.
Luckily, the ETIAS application is a very simple process. It will all be done online, in just a few minutes,and the only document required will be a biometric passportthat isvalid for at least three monthsafter the applicant’s planned arrival at their destination country. Please bear in mind, onceapproved,ETIAS will be valid for three years or until the linked passport expires–whicheverhappens first.It willallow for anunlimited number of visits, providing the stay does not exceed 90days within any 180-day period.
A UK national travelling on an ETIAS Authorization Switzerland may stay in Switzerland for no longer than 90 days in a 180-day period. If you want to stay in Switzerland longer, or if you want to work or study there, you will need to apply for a visa.
ETIAS Authorization Switzerland approval is needed for every eligible person of any age, although those under 18 and over 70 do not have to pay to submit their application. A minor is defined as a “third country national or stateless person under the age of eighteen” under the application rule, which specifically indicates that this group of people (children) are not excluded from the ETIAS requirement.
For this reason, border officials and transport operators are instructed to seek proof of ETIAS approval from all passengers who qualify for ETIAS, which includes children. The ETIAS application should be made by the legal parent or guardian on behalf of the child.
Apart from the clear security considerations, one reason that ETIAS is deemed necessary for minors is that they can be utilised for a variety of unlawful reasons by unscrupulous people. Moreover, ETIAS will assist in preventing illegal immigration and human trafficking by conducting background checks on the adult that is responsible for the child and applying for ETIAS on the child’s behalf.
Travellers from the UK, as well as those from the other visa-exempt nations, will need to apply for an ETIAS Authorization Switzerland before visiting a Schengen country. The United States, Australia and Canada are among the nations that will be affected by the change. The following is a complete current list of all the countries whose citizens must submit ETIAS applications in order to visit Switzerland in 2025 – this list is updated regularly to include new ETIAS eligible additions:
Albania
Antigua-et-Barbuda
Argentine
Australie
Bahamas
Barbade
Bosnie-Herzégovine
Brésil
Brunei
Canada
Chili
Colombie
Costa Rica
République dominicaine
Le Salvador
Géorgie
Grenade
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong
Israël
Japon
Kiribati
Macao
Macédoine du Nord
Malaisie
Îles Marshall
Île Maurice
Mexique
Micronésie
Moldavie
Monténégro
Nouvelle-Zélande
Nicaragua
Palaos
Panama
Paraguay
Pérou
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Sainte-Lucie
Saint Vincent
St. Vincent
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Taiwan
Timor Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uruguay
Ukraine
UAE
Vanuatu
Venezuela
United Kingdom
United States
The ETIAS Switzerland application process is all electronic and therefore meant to be done online. It is a quick, easy process requiring the applicant to enter basic personal and background information about themselves, such as passport information, name, date of birth, email address, citizenship information, employment and educational experience, travel, medical and criminal history.The supplied information is then processed and checked against various databases to ensure the data provided matches what is retrieved from other sources and does not flag up any cause for suspicion.
There are some things that should be considered before beginning the application process.It isimportant to check that the card you plan to use to pay the application fee does not have any blocksor holdson it and there are sufficient funds in the account, otherwise the application may not beprocessed.Also,the accuracy of the biometric information that is entered is of the utmostimportance,down to the smallest detail. If the information is incorrectly entered, even if byaccident, then the application may be rejected.
A side note–if any new information comes to lightafteran applicant’s ETIASis approved, such aslegal trouble in the days leading up to travel, then the ETIAS authorisation may be flagged andrevoked by EU authorities.Also, ETIAS does not mean automatic admission into the destinationcountry. Admission will ultimatelybedecided by border officials and based on a number of factors
For the initial ETIAS application, only a valid biometric passport is required. Biometric passports have been standard issue in the UK for over a decade – since 2010 – and therefore most British people will have the correct documentation to apply for ETIAS. Any additional documentation will only be requested in unusual circumstances, if the application is deemed insufficient or suspicious in some way.
In order for the passport to be deemed valid for ETIAS Authorization Switzerland purposes, it must have a printed photograph that is not glued or affixed in any way, be machine readable, and preferably have an electronic passport chip (although this isn’t mandatory). If the passport does not meet these criteria, or if it is deemed insufficient in any other way, additional documents may be requested before ETIAS approval is granted.
