More than two years after the European Union Commission proposed the establishment of the European Travel Information Authorization System (ETIAS), a huge share of those who will need it as of January 2023*, are still not aware what an ETIAS actually is.

With a lot of fake news floating on the internet and the lack of an informative campaign by the EU (which may be implemented later given there’s still almost two years of time left), people seem confused about the new European scheme.

A survey conducted by SchengenVisaInfo.com reveals that 41.9% of those who participated, including Americans, Canadians and Australians, wrongly believe that they will soon need a visa to visit Europe.

Only 34.9% of the 14,717 persons who answered the survey know that ETIAS is in fact a travel authorization, while the rest 23.2% have no idea what it is.

SchengenVisaInfo.com conducted this survey last week after having noticed the confusion sparked on the internet recently. Our visa experts wanted to know from close what people actually thought ETIAS is.

“Starting in 2021, citizens of 62 countries will need to apply for ETIAS to travel to several European countries. There’s been a lot of confusion on the internet, in media reports, and among people lately whether ETIAS is a visa or not. We would like to know the answers directly from you. Take part in our poll and let us know your thoughts,” the survey said, inviting all to participate.

Within 10 days, the survey received 14,717 answers, and the outcome was quite surprising. Turns out, US citizens, who were also the main national group of participants in the survey, are the most misinformed regarding the ETIAS.

Around 66% of the 6,072 US nationals that participated in the survey do not know that the ETIAS is a travel authorization.

41% of these participants wrongly believe that an ETIAS is a visa, which they will need as of 2023*. Another 25% have no idea what an ETIAS is, while only 34% are aware that it is actually a travel authorization.

There is a slight difference in percentages for Canadians who answered the survey. Only 32% of the 3,643 Canadian participants know what ETIAS means, while 39% wrongly believe that it is a travel visa.

The rest claim they have no information what an ETIAS is, meaning that 68% of Canadians are either not informed or misinformed about the new European travel rules.

Australians seem to be best informed in this regard, though 36% of them still believe that the ETIAS is a visa. 2,429 Australians became part of the survey, with 40% of them aware that the ETIAS is a travel authorization. Only 24% have no clue what the ETIAS acronym stands for.

Participants from the rest of the countries together accounted for 17.4% of the total number of those who answered the survey. While only 9% of them claim not to know what ETIAS is, 54% of them think that it is a visa. Only 37% of them are right when they say that the ETIAS is a travel authorization instead.

Top reasons that triggered survey’s outcomes

There may be several reasons that have prompted confusion among non-EU nationals soon in need of an ETIAS. Yet, experts at SchengenVisaInfo.com believe that the three main reasons that have caused such an outcome of the survey are as follows:

Recent viral fake news claiming that the ETIAS is a visa

Absence of information regarding the ETIAS

Belief that the ETIAS is a “disguised visa”

In the last years, the world has seen the effect of fake news, which often can reach epidemic proportions worldwide. Recently millions of readers and hundreds of online media became victim of fake news claiming that Americans will soon need a visa to Europe.

Gent Ukëhajdaraj from SchengenVisaInfo.com explains how it all happened.

“Some websites claiming that the ETIAS is a visa, have triggered a viral thread last month claiming “Americans will need a visa” or that “ETIAS is a visa”, misguiding not only readers but also some several online media and even media outlets,” he says. “Until then most Americans, Canadians, Australians and others hadn’t even heard about the ETIAS. The idea that Europe was imposing a visa regime to them caused this fake news to go viral within hours.”

According to Ukëhajdaraj, another reason for the outcome of the survey is that the EU or the countries under the Schengen visa waiver have not undertaken any step to inform travelers to the EU on the new rules. He believes that if there was an informative campaign on the ETIAS, less people and in particular, fewer media would fall prey to such fake news.

Finally, despite being aware that the ETIAS is a travel authorization, people refuse to classify the ETIAS as a visa. Reddit users have commented an article explaining that the ETIAS is not a visa, many of them claiming that the new EU requirement is in fact a “disguised visa.”

A Reddit user insists that if you have to pay to enter the country, then it doesn’t feel like visa-free travel.

“I didn’t care until I realized you have to give a credit card and pay them. Doesn’t feel like ‘Visa free travel’ to me if I have to pay to apply,” the commenter says.

Other users also insist on the same.

“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck… then we like them and call it “totally not a visa”. If I have to get through a registration process and then through an approval process and then can still be denied entry…then it is a visa in my book! You can call it whatever you want,” another Reddit user claims.

However, according to Ukëhajdaraj, calling ETIAS a visa only because there is an application form to complete and a fee to pay, does not make any sense.

“At the end of the day, both, a visa and a travel authorization are in essence a permit to enter a country. The difference between them is that while there is a longer and much more difficult process for obtaining a visa, the application process for a travel authorization can be completed within minutes. It costs way less as well. In the case of ETIAS, it currently costs 8.5 times less than a regular Schengen visa,” Ukëhajdaraj explains.

So, what is an ETIAS exactly?

ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorization System and it is not a visa. The ETIAS is a visa waiver pre-screening program for travelers under the EU visa-free program, that want to travel to the EU for tourism or business for up to 90-day stays.

According to the EU, the main reason for the introduction of such a scheme is the protection and strengthening of the EU external borders.

ETIAS is very similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which all Schengen nationals (aside of Polish citizens who need a visa) need to obtain in order to travel to the US for tourism and business. While there are only 38 countries under the American ESTA, currently 62 nations are part of the Schengen visa-free entry program.

Australia and Canada also run similar schemes, and New Zealand will introduce its own on July this year, as well.

The process to obtain an ETIAS is simple and quick. Applicants only need to complete an online form and pay a fee of €7 online. The authorization will be valid for three years at first. Travelers will be able to enter the country with the same authorization as many times as they want within this period (without violating the permitted stay rules). ETIAS is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.

Learn more information about ETIAS here.

* ETIAS is being delayed for 2022. It won’t be mandatory until 2023