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ETIAS - the saga continues

punter99 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:11:44 GMT

Just reading Unlocks latest newsletter. Already out date as they say it will come in 2025, but the official website says 2026.

There are a few things of interest on the ETIAS.org website as well.

"It is unlikely that you will be allowed to travel to Europe with a serious criminal record. Anyone who has spent more than 3 years in jail or has been convicted of trafficking or drug offences with over two years of jail time will usually be declined.There are different rules across the member states, so there could be a possibility of applying for a Schengen visa for the specific country you are visiting and the embassy will review your criminal record and make a decision whether to issue a visa.Spent convictions will not usually impact travelling to Europe, unless the offence included over 30 months’ of imprisonment."

"Any of the following serious criminal offences in the last ten years will need to be reviewed and likely to be declined:

Terrorism (in the last 20 years)
Sexual exploitation of children
Trafficking of human beings
Trafficking of drugs
Murder
Rape"

I think this is new information. I dont previously recall them saying that certain offences are "likely" to be declined. There is also more confusion about the dates covered. We have heard periods of 15, 20 and 25 years mentioned previously. Now it seems to be just 10 years.

There is also a confusion over crimes that occured more than 10 years ago, but which received a sentence of over 3 years. Will they likely be declined or not?

RE: ETIAS - the saga continues

AB2014 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:11:44 GMT

[quote]

[b]punter99 - 7 Mar 25 12:24 PM[/b]

Its very confusing, because Unlocks newsletter from Feb this year, links to this page https://unlock.org.uk/advice/travelling-to-the-eu-etias/ which says 10 years.

Whereas another page on Unlock, https://unlock.org.uk/travel-to-the-eu-post-brexit/ says 15 years.

As far as I can see, the official ETIAS site is this one. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

and the official site says implementation in late 2026, contradicting Unlocks latest newsletter.
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/revised-timeline-ees-and-etias-2025-03-07_en (dated 7th march 2025)

[/quote]

I emailed Debbie last week about the confusion, so hopefully someone will check the information and update it, at least on the website. One problem with the ten or fifteen years thing is that someone quite high up in the EU found a procedural problem with the Parliament amending the directive/rules, regardless of what was changed. However, I'm guessing it would just need the Commission to amend it for the Parliament to approve it. Bureaucrats, eh? Thankfully, my convictions are already over fifteen years old, so I wouldn't have to disclose for an ETIAS anyway, but thousands of others aren't so lucky. If they decide to disclose.

RE: ETIAS - the saga continues

maxcaddy — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 12:02:48 GMT

Sounds like ETIAS will be much more forgiving than the US ESTA which is forbidden to people even with a caution or arrest without further action.

RE: ETIAS - the saga continues

punter99 — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 12:24:24 GMT

RE: ETIAS - the saga continues

AB2014 — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:52:23 GMT

[quote]

[b]AB2014 - 6 Mar 25 1:29 PM[/b]

[quote]

[b]punter99 - 6 Mar 25 11:35 AM[/b]

"Any of the following serious criminal offences in the last ten years will need to be reviewed and likely to be declined:

Terrorism (in the last 20 years)
Sexual exploitation of children
Trafficking of human beings
Trafficking of drugs
Murder
Rape"

[/quote]

I'd be careful about anything on etias.org, as it also says that ETIAS will be introduced by early 2023. According to the latest update from the EC. The fact remains that (thanks to [b]tedstriker[/b], we know that the disclosure period was extended to 15 years when the European Parliament passed the regulations around ETIAS. Having said that, the EU and its member states don't have access to the UK criminal records system, and all the information added to the Schengen system was deleted as part of Brexit, so they won't know about anyone's criminal record, or if they even have one, unless they are a high-level person of interest internationally or there is an Interpol notice against their name. As to applications being declined, that is up to whoever is processing the particular application. I think it was said that ETIAS applications will be processed by a central agency, but visa applications will be processed by individual countries. It seems the harmonised application form for visas doesn't ask about criminal records, so it must come into play when someone applies for residence in a member country. As ever, they would make their decision based on the information in front of them. That would apply to ETIAS as well, but as they don't even know whether an applicant has a criminal record, if they choose not to disclose, they are unlikely to be rejected. Whatever is said on etias.org, I would be sceptical, and only trust what is on the official website.

[/quote]

I'll post as a reply, as the site doesn't seem to recognise edits. Anyway, the official website is actually here.

RE: ETIAS - the saga continues

AB2014 — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:29:58 GMT

[quote]

[b]punter99 - 6 Mar 25 11:35 AM[/b]

"Any of the following serious criminal offences in the last ten years will need to be reviewed and likely to be declined:

Terrorism (in the last 20 years)
Sexual exploitation of children
Trafficking of human beings
Trafficking of drugs
Murder
Rape"

[/quote]