IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu has made a statement to clarify allegations on need for special (green) and service (grey) passport holders to get a prior permission for their travels to the Schengen Area. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu has given information about European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the time the system will be operationalized and which country nationals will be affected.

“First of all, let us clarify what ETIAS is and what EES is. It is expected European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which requires prior permission for nationals of countries traveling to the Schengen Area without a visa, to be operationalized in 2025. Nevertheless, the exact date has not yet been set. EU’s system of registration EES (Entry and Exit System) must be functional for ETIAS to be run. ETIAS will be implemented 6 months after the launch of EES. Although the date is not given, EES is expected to work in 2025.

Nationals of the 60 countries who travel to the Schengen Area without a visa requirement will have to apply online before their travels. The permission which can be obtained online will be valid for 3 years (until the date of expiry in case of passports with date of expiry less than 3 years) and will allow permission-holders to enter the Schengen Area for short-term travel (90 days of stay within a 180-day period). Border officers will check whether entry requirements are met or not upon entry.

For ETIAS to work, the transition to EES must first be completed. EES is an abbreviation for Entry-Exit. It is an IT system created to register third-country nationals traveling to the Schengen Area. The EES will register both visa and visa-free travellers each time they enter the EU’s external borders. The person’s name, the travel document, biometric data (fingerprint and facial image), place and date of entry and exit will be recorded. Refusals will also be recorded if entry is not authorized. The current system of manual stamping of passports will be phased out. Thus, the aim is to prevent document forgery, improve border security, further automate border crossings and detect unauthorized or overstayed visas.

How will this situation be for Turkish nationals? Visa requirement continues for Turkish nationals holding regular passports (maroon-coloured). There is no change there. So, what is the situation for special (green) and service (grey) passport holders?

According to the Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS, holders of diplomatic, service/official and special passports are not included in the Regulation. In short, there is no change for the holders of special (green) passports in their travels”.

The list of countries needing to apply for prior permission while entering the Schengen Area in the scope of ETIAS is as follows:

Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Montenegro, Kiribati, Kosovo, North Macedonia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mauritius, New Zealand,