ETIAS Requirements for Australians

At the moment, Australians do not need a visa for Europe to visit the Schengen countries for short stays for

• Tourism
• Business
• Transit
• Short-term study
• Medical treatment

Australians can visit the Schengen Area for these purposes for up to 90 days within every 180-day period visa-free.

However, as of November 2023, they will be required to have an ETIAS visa waiver for Australian citizens to visit Schengen countries for the same purposes and period of stay.

An approved ETIAS for Australians is a multiple entry authorization with a multi-year validity period. So there is no need to apply before every trip to Europe.

Note: ETIAS does not permit Australian citizens to visit Europe for consecutive stays longer than 90 days or to work or study long-term. In such cases, it will be necessary to apply for a Schengen visa.

Unlike ETIAS, these visas are only issued for one country. They must be solicited from an embassy or consulate of the specific European country the Australian citizen wishes to visit.

Holders of an approved ETIAS Australia can visit any and all of the Schengen countries visa-free with their electronic visa waiver.

These include European Union countries, such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece. The Schengen Zone also includes 4 non-EU countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and 3 microstates (Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City).

All of these countries have signed the Schengen Agreement for passport-free travel for their citizens within an external border. However, Australians must have an approved ETIAS to travel to and between these member states.

Additionally, it will also be necessary to have an ETIAS for Australians to visit pending members of the Schengen Area visa-free. These countries are Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania.

A list of the countries you can visit with an approved ETIAS Australia, and an interactive map, can be found below.

An ETIAS application for Australians can be completed exclusively online in a matter of minutes. There is no need to visit an embassy in person or compile numerous paper documents to apply for ETIAS from Australia.

An ETIAS application is also usually processed incredibly quickly, often within 24 hours. Nevertheless, Australians are advised to submit their ETIAS request at least 72 hours before departure to allow for any unexpected processing delays.

To submit an ETIAS application for Australians, you simply need to fill out a form with the following:

• Personal information – including full name, date of birth, nationality, and place of birth
• Passport data – such as document number, issuing country, and issue/expiry dates
• Travel plans – including the Schengen country of first intended entry

Additionally, the applicant is asked to respond to a few questions related to security matters. These include criminal conviction history, prior travel to the Schengen Area, and prior travel to conflict zones.

The answers to these questions are screened against security databases to determine eligibility to travel. These databases include INTERPOL, Europol, and the Visa Information System (VIS).

Finally, the applicant is prompted to pay the ETIAS Australia processing fee. They can then review the answers to their responses to check for errors before submitting the form.

The ETIAS requirements for Australians are simple and easy to meet. You simply need to have:

• Biometric passport valid for at least 3 months from intended arrival date in Europe
• Valid credit or debit card authorized for online payments
• Current email address at which to receive a copy of the approved ETIAS

If you have dual citizenship and multiple passports, it is essential to ensure you travel to Europe with the same passport you use to complete the application form. This is because an ETIAS for Australian citizens is electronically linked to one passport.

Holders of an approved ETIAS from Australia can simply present the ETIAS-linked passport at border control to gain entry to Europe. There is no need to print a copy of the authorization, although carrying a printout is still advised.

An approved ETIAS is valid for 3 years or until the associated passport expires. If the passport expires before the end of the ETIAS validity, it will be necessary to submit a new application to continue to travel to Europe visa-free.

You can use your approved ETIAS to travel to Europe from Australia to any of the Schengen Area countries.

A large number of tourists on a trip to Europe from Australia choose to visit Spain, particularly culturally rich cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Granada.

Italy is another popular destination among Australian tourists eager to experience the world-famous attractions in Rome and Milan.

You may also want to visit Paris, France to climb the iconic Eiffel Tower or Athens, Greece to explore the city’s many historical sites.

Europe has long been a coveted destination among Australian travelers. Due to the large distance between the two regions, many visitors from Australia choose to make their trip to Europe an extensive tour to take in as many countries as they can at once.

The number of non-resident arrivals to Schengen Countries from Australia has risen substantially in recent years, from 2,303,639 in 2015 to 2,817,639 by 2019.

The number of arrivals was understandably deeply affected by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021. However, the figures are expected to quickly climb back up to pre-pandemic levels and beyond in the next few years.