A new European Union program that would require Canadians to register before travelling to Europe has been delayed again.
The program, which was scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, has been delayed until sometime in 2025, according to a news release issued last week.
The setback was caused by an IT delivery issue. It marks the fourth delay for the system since it was first announced in 2018. The program originally was supposed to come into effect in 2021.
The new system, known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), will require that visa-exempt travellers — including Canadians — apply online for visa waivers before their arrival in one of the 27 Schengen-area countries or Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
Ireland will not participate in the program and will continue to have its own visa policy because it is part of the Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom.
The waiver will cost seven Euros and will last for three years. Canadians will be required to fill out a form online with their personal information and make the payment before they travel. While most waivers will be processed in minutes, some could take up to 30 days.
Canadians who hold an EU passport or a residency card in an EU country will be exempt from the program.
The changes will affect hundreds of thousands Canadians who travel to the EU every year.
Canada has a similar program — the Electronic Travel Authorization — which costs users $5 and lasts for five years for visa-exempt travellers to Canada. The United States also has visa waiver programs for many countries but Canadians are not required to have a waiver to travel to the United States.