The ETIAS Visa Waiver Application
New Zealanders can access the ETIAS visa waiver application online. In fact, the entire process is designed to happen over the Internet. Travelers do not have to visit a consulate or an embassy and they do not have to relinquish their passports for any length of time.
The application only takes 10-15 minutes and may go even faster if travelers gather the following documents before they apply. They will need:
- Their current, valid passport from New Zealand. If this does not have at least 6 months left on it, the traveler should obtain a new passport before trying to get an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe.
- A credit card. The website only needs this to pay the application fee and will not store it or use it for any other purposes.
- An email address. All communication about the ETIAS for New Zealanders will come through here so it’s important that the traveler be able to check the inbox regularly.
The application asks all sorts of questions, including ones about:
- Personal information. This needs to match the applicant’s passport exactly or the ETIAS visa waiver will automatically be denied.
- Group affiliations. This ensures that visitors don’t have terrorist ties or other dangerous connections.
- Arrest and conviction history. European governments want to make sure they aren’t allowing dangerous people to enter the Schengen Zone.
- Previous travels. If travelers have potentially been exposed to dangerous diseases, the European governments want to know about it.
Once the application has been submitted, it can take up to several weeks for applicants to hear back about their ETIAS visa waiver status.
Traveling to Europe Under the ETIAS System
The ETIAS for citizens from New Zealand is electronically tied to the traveler’s passport. This means that a simple passport scan will reveal an approved ETIAS visa waiver and the traveler will enter Europe. Once there, visitors on an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe can stay for up to 90 days and move about freely within the Schengen Zone.
Every visitor in a party will need his or her own ETIAS for citizens of New Zealand. This includes children, the elderly, and infants. Each ETIAS visa waiver is good for up to 3 years or until the traveler’s current passport expires, whichever comes first.
Travelers from NZ should feel safer than ever when they visit Europe under the new ETIAS visa waiver system! The benefit should outweigh the hassle of getting the visa waiver before they travel.
