Travellers to Europe warned about visa scam

Anyone travelling from outside the European Union has been advised to not apply for a visa to enter as the scheme is not up and running yet, despite dozens of websites offering the service.

Non-EU citizens aged between 18-70 years old, including UK travellers and those from other visa-exempt countries including the US, Australia and Canada, will soon need to pay €20 (£17) for an electronic waiver to enter the 30 countries comprising Schengen zone under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) - you can see the full list of countries here.

It was meant to be introduced soon after the rollout of the Entry-Exit System (EES) but has been repeatedly postponed following persistent problems after the introduction of the EES.

When it goes live, non-EU travellers will apply for an Etias travel authorisation, which works much like the Esta visa waiver required for entering the United States from numerous countries. Etias will allow visitors to stay in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day period and will be valid for three years or until the travel document used in the application expires, whichever comes first.

However, it is not live yet and is not due to arrive until some point in 2027 - though The Guardian reports that there are more than 150 websites offering to assist with applying for the Etias authorisation.

Commercial sites can legitimately apply for the waivers on behalf of clients, but the pan-European border agency Frontex said the risk posed by third parties ranged from data protection and identity theft to extortionate fees.

It could lead to repeated contact from scammers who have got hold of your information, such as what happened to UK actress Lisa Riley when she applied for an Esta through a fraudulent website.

The travel assocication Abta says some unofiicial websites are providing inaccurate information over who needs an Etias while trying to copy the look of the official site and using convincing domain names.

“If you use one of these sites, not only will you lose money, you are also putting your personal data at risk as well,” the director of public affairs at Abta, Luke Petherbridge said. “What I can’t stress is enough that you can’t – and shouldn’t - apply for an Etias now.”

Additional information courtest of The Points Guy

Found us through a search engine? Click here to join our newsletter, or contact us and send your email and we will add you into our community. We do not share your information.  You will get free, weekly updates on the latest scams to protect you and your family.