Many of our travellers have been asking about the “new EU Visa requirements” for travel in 2025. First thing to know is that a specific start date has not been announced, but it is likely to be effective from mid-2025. We always strive to keep our travellers up to date as possible with what they will need to know before travel. So here are some important points:
- It will only be relevant to countries in the European Schengen Zone (which does include places like Italy, France, Greece, Portugal and more)
- The official title of the visa is the Schengen Visa (not the EU Visa)
- Australian will be able to apply for a visa waiver, via ETIAS. ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. ETIAS is a Schengen visa waiver for Australian citizens. It is similar to the visa waiver system used by the United States called the ESTA, and the eTA systems used by Canada and Australia.
- It is best to apply for an ETIAS at least 96 hours before departure.
- An ETIAS application will take about 10 minutes to complete and cost approximately AUS$12.00 per person over the age of 18 years.
- The ETIAS will be valid for three years, or the date of passport expiry (whichever comes first), and can be used for stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period.
The ETIAS application site is not available yet. Please be wary of scam websites that encourage you to apply for ETIAS before the system is operational
If you are looking for more information, or simply want to keep abreast of any changes/updates re travel into the Schengen Zone, then please feel free to click into the official ETIAS site. We will be updating this travel blog as well as more information comes to light so feel free to circle back and watch this space.
Please feel free to contact us anytime if you have any questions. Of course if you are travelling with us, we will make it a point to provide you with the most up to date information on visa/ETIAS requirements.
Do you know we devise custom made travel itineraries for travellers wanting to not only experience Italy but also other wider Europe. Our fifty years of combined experience living and travelling throughout Italy and Europe, allows us to provide a personalised service and a complete travel package for our clients. For the best custom holidays book with an accredited and expert travel consultant.
