Saudis Not Required ETIAS To Enter Europe
Saudi citizens are not required to obtain the European Travel Information and Authorisation (ETIAS) for entering the Schengen Area of Europe. Saudis are required only a Schengen visa to enter Europe.
ETIAS is an electronic visa waiver due to be introduced in Europe effective from the year 2024. This is a completely electronic system that allows and keeps track of visitors from countries who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone.
It will permit eligible citizens to travel to and within the Schengen Area countries for short stays.
The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat. This travel authorisation system will gather, keep track of, and update necessary information regarding visitors to determine whether it is safe for them to enter Schengen countries.
The ETIAS, besides being used for business and tourist purposes, will also allow people to visit the Schengen countries for medical and transit reasons. In addition, it will be mandatory for all countries that are Schengen visa-free. The beneficiaries of this system account for about 1.4 billion people in around 60 countries and it allows its holder to enter 30 European countries, and the authorisation will be valid for three years, or the passport expires.
As for Saudi citizens, they must obtain an entry visa from the European country, including Britain and Ireland. The Schengen visa allows citizen to stay for a period of 90 days within six months. The EU sources stressed that ETIAS is not a visa in the conventional sense, but rather a security measure to track the movement of travellers in the countries covered by the aforementioned procedure.
