At present, there are three different groups of visitors to Germany. The first group includes citizens from other EU countries as well as one or two other countries that have reciprocal agreements with Germany because they are part of the Schengen bloc. These people can freely enter Germany and stay as long as they want. The second group includes citizens from about 60 countries with relatively relaxed restrictions. They must show their passport on arrival anywhere in Europe and then they can stay for up to 90 days. The third group is everyone. These people need a visa that must be obtained before they arrive in Europe.
The ETIAS system (abbreviation of the EU Travel Information Clearance System), once officially launched in early 2020, will ensure that all persons in this second group will need to obtain an authorization (authorization before their arrival. It is hoped that this will improve the flow of information on arrivals in Europe and avoid some of the problems that Europe has experienced so far. The process will be quite simple. It will be an online application that will take about 10 minutes. A fee of 5 € will have to be paid and once approved, the authorization will have a duration of 5 years.
Germany is part of Schengen
One of the most confusing aspects of the EU is the Schengen Agreement. This is only indirectly related to the EU This is an agreement between most current EU governments on common arrangements for movement across national borders. If you are a citizen of a Schengen country like Germany, you can move freely, live and work in any other Schengen country. The Schengen arrangement also affects other non-EU visitors. Your maximum stay of 90 days, for example, concerns the entire Schengen block. If you spend 30 days in Germany, for example, you only have 60 days left in the rest of the block, although some Schengen countries have some individual exceptions to that.
What are the main attractions of Germany?
Germany is one of the most important countries in the EU and an economic powerhouse. It has a lot to occupy the average tourist. It has a large variety of more traditional villages and modern cities. Each city has its own identity and so there is a lot of value in seeing more than one city to get a sense of the life of the German city. Do not forget the many festivals in Germany like the Munich Beer Festival in October (if you like beer, of course!)
Germany also has quite a variety of landscapes. The Rhine Valley is famous for its castles, mild climate, vineyards and cruises along the river. The northern coast is flat and wind-swept for much of the year, but has an interesting number of islands, which contrasts sharply with the more alpine region of Bavaria and Zugspitze, the highest peak in Central Europe. .
Will I need a German ETIAS visa waiver?
You will only need a German ETIAS visa waiver once the arrangements are finalized and the infrastructure in place and you will find that every travel agent and airline will know if you need it. You can also take the assessment on the Home page to find out if you will need an ETIAS for Germany. The EU Commission has just announced that it expects it to be operational by the beginning of 2020. In principle, if you do not hold an EU passport and you know You do not need a visa to travel to Europe It is very likely that you will need a travel authorization (ETIAS) before arriving at any border crossing or European airport once the system is operational.