Hong Kong Passport Holders Must Get Authorisation To Travel To 30 European Countries, From 2024

Starting 2024, Hong Kong passport holders and 59 other nationals from countries already entitled to visa-free access for short-term stays to 30 European countries must get an ETIAS document before their travel.

ETIAS — or European Travel Information and Authorisation System — is an online document that will be used to keep a record of who enters and leaves the 27-nation Schengen zone and three other European countries: Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania.

Under this system, Hong Kong passport holders can enter these 30 countries for up to 90 days at a time within a 180-day period. The ETIAS is valid for up to three years or until a passport expires, whichever comes first. If an ETIAS-approved passport expires within this three-year period, a new ETIAS must be applied for.

Hong Kong ETIAS applicants need a valid HKSAR passport and must pay a €7 (HK60) application fee. However, those under 18 years old or over 70 years old do not have to pay the application fee. Applicants must also provide information such as personal details, current occupation, education level, and details about their planned travel and stay in any ETIAS countries.

While most applications will be approved within minutes, there may be instances in which the approval process will take longer — the minimum period being four days, and the maximum being 30 days. In such cases, authorities may request an applicant to provide additional documents or even attend an interview.

The ETIAS launch date has not yet been announced, and applications for the document are not available yet.

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