ETIAS and its Impact on Saint Lucia Citizenship

Today’s blog is an essential read for anyone who is concerned about the ETIAS for Saint Lucian citizens. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS for short) is a kind of electronic permission that St. Lucian travelers will need to obtain in order to enter most countries in Europe. For applicants who are looking to obtain Saint Lucia citizenship through the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI), the discovery of the ETIAS requirements for Saint Lucian nationals may seem an unwelcome impediment to the global movement. However, as you will soon learn, the ETIAS for Saint Lucian citizens will not significantly impact most travelers. Read on to discover the ETIAS eligibility for Saint Lucia and to determine what countries do Saint Lucian nationals need an ETIAS for. As you will soon learn, traveling to Europe with ETIAS for citizens of Saint Lucia will continue to be easy—even with the new authorization.

Overview of ETIAS eligibility for Saint Lucia

• Citizens of St. Lucia are among those who will need to apply for ETIAS in order to travel to most countries in Europe toward the end of 2022—when the system is projected to become operational.
• The purpose of ETIAS is to help the Schengen area further secure its borders and citizens by screening all travelers to the zone—even those who historically were exempt from security checks due to their nationality. By exempting millions of applicants from tens of countries, the Schengen area historically had essentially no control over who could come into the zone. Through ETIAS, the collective Schengen states regain a measure of control over who can visit the zone—and potentially stop the entrance of criminals, terrorists, and other dangerous individuals who would compromise the zone’s security.
• ETIAS visa waiver requirements include the payment of a small fee, the completion of a short application form, and the submission of one’s passport and contact information. The entire process will take less than 10 minutes for most St. Lucian applicants.
• However, St. Lucian’s are not the only ones who will be subject to these new requirements; ETIAS is for Saint Lucian citizens as well as the citizens of the 55+ countries whose nationals currently have visa-free access to the Schengen area. ETIAS will therefore not affect anyone who needs a visa to enter the Schengen area.
• Nationals of countries who do not have visa-free access to the Schengen area who apply for a Schengen visa are subject to a lengthy application process that includes extensive security checks. Because the Schengen visa application process is more comprehensive than the ETIAS application process, Schengen visa seekers who are approved for their visa do not need to also apply for ETIAS in order to enter the zone.

How ETIAS for Saint Lucian citizens works

As mentioned above, obtaining the ETIAS authorization for Saint Lucian citizens involves a short electronic application process. Applicants can therefore meet the ETIAS requirements for Saint Lucian citizens by following the below steps:

• Access the ETIAS platform
  • The ETIAS authorization for Saint Lucian citizens can be reached either online or by downloading an official App. If you have access to the internet via a computer or cellphone, you will be able to quickly and easily sign up for ETIAS.
• Pay the ETIAS fee
  • Before you can access the ETIAS application form, you will have to pay a small fee (7 EUR). Acceptable forms of payment include debit and credit cards. Once you do that, you will be taken to the form.
• Fill out the ETIAS form
  • The ETIAS form is where you will enter basic information about yourself, your travel (and travel document), your travel history, and any relevant criminal background.
  • The only document you will need for this step is your St. Lucian passport (you will need to enter your passport ID number on the form).
  • In addition to submitting your full name, birthday, and nationality, you will have to honestly provide information attesting to the following:
    • Where you intend to enter the Schengen area (i.e. which country you will fly into)
    • Whether you have ever been forced to exit the territory of another country due to criminal or visa issues
    • Whether you have any prior criminal history
    • Whether you have ever traveled to a country that is considered unstable or unsafe
• Wait for your application to be processed
  • The processing time for most ETIAS applicants is estimated to be 10 minutes.
  • Please note that if you have a searchable criminal history your application will likely be flagged by the Schengen security services, which will result either in your application being delayed (by days or up to four weeks) or cancelled altogether.
• Receive your ETIAS
  • Lucians will get their ETIAS by email. You should therefore make sure that you can access the specific email prior to traveling.
• Present your ETIAS for Schengen entry
  • If you are entering the Schengen area by air, you will likely be asked to show your ETIAS at the airport some point before your departure.
  • If you are entering by vehicle or ship, you will present your ETIAS at the zone’s border (when requested by the relevant Schengen authorities).
• Enjoy universal access to the Schengen area
  • Once you receive your ETIAS, you will be able to show it to enter all 26 Schengen countries for up to three years. What this means is that you will not need to go through the ETIAS application process again until your authorization expires. Simply show your electronic ETIAS every time you enter the Schengen area. Because the Schengen area countries do not have physical border controls anymore, you will only need to present your ETIAS when you enter the zone—not when you travel across it. For example, if you enter the Schengen area for the first time via France, you will be asked to show your ETIAS authorization. However, if you travel from France to Germany, you will not be asked for your ETIAS at the border between those two countries.
  • Please note that if your St. Lucian passport expires before this three-year period is over, you will have re-apply for ETIAS—even if there is still time left on its validity period.

What Countries do Saint Lucian nationals need an ETIAS for?

• ETIAS visa waiver requirements will affect St. Lucians who are trying to enter the Schengen area, a group of the following 26 states: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
• It is only the above destinations which are affected by traveling to Europe with ETIAS for citizens of Saint Lucia. St. Lucians who wish to travel to other European countries not listed above will not need an ETIAS. In the case of travel to non-Schengen European states, St. Lucians should consult the specific entry requirements in force.

ETIAS application advice

For personalized ETIAS application advice for those looking to obtain Saint Lucia citizenship, please contact us here.