ETIAS for the Schengen area: the complete guide
ETIAS is the electronic entry authorization for the Schengen area. One authorization covers every country in the zone and lasts three years.
What ETIAS is
ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is not a visa. It is an electronic travel authorization for visa-exempt travellers, recorded against your passport number, valid for entry to every Schengen country — for tourism, visits, business or transit.
One authorization covers the whole zone. You do not need a separate one per country, even if your itinerary crosses several of them.
The 90-day rule — the part people get wrong
You may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the entire Schengen area rather than per country. Two weeks in Spain and two weeks in Italy is 28 days of your allowance, not 14 and 14. Arrival and departure days both count.
What you need to apply
What it costs
The official fee is around ILS 28 per traveller. With Visale the all-in price is ILS 117 per traveller, including completion, human review and filing. Under-18s and over-70s are exempt from the fee but still need the authorization.
Common mistakes
- Miscounting days — It is 90 in 180 across the whole zone, not per country.
- Wrong country of entry — Name the country you land in first, not your main destination.
- Confusing it with the UK — Britain and Ireland are outside Schengen and need their own authorization.
- A passport expiring soon — The authorization expires with the passport, even if that is only months away.
Frequently asked
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