ETIAS for Colombians: everything you need to know before traveling to Europe

This point is worth making very clear: ETIAS is not a Schengen visa. If your trip falls under the visa exemption for Colombians, ETIAS will be a prior, simpler, and digital authorization. But if your case requires a visa due to the type of trip, its duration, or another immigration condition, ETIAS does not replace that process.

💻 How to apply for ETIAS from Colombia?

When the system becomes operational, the application will be made only online, through the official European Union website or its official application. It will not be a process to be done at consulates or embassies.

To apply, official information indicates that you will need a valid passport, an email address, and to complete a form with your data. It will also be checked that your travel document does not expire less than 3 months after the date you plan to leave Europe and that it is not more than 10 years old.

Most applications will be processed quickly. Official sources explain that, if no alerts or extra reviews appear, the authorization can be issued in minutes ⚡. In some cases, it may take longer, especially if additional documents or manual review are requested. Therefore, it is highly recommended not to leave this process until the last few days before your trip and to do it with sufficient anticipation.

💶 How much does ETIAS cost?

Here you have to be careful because old information is still circulating. The most updated official reference states that ETIAS will cost 20 euros, not 7. That change was established in an official European Union regulation and also appears in recent information from the European Commission.

There are also people exempt from this payment. According to regulations and recent official information, minors under 18 and over 70 will not have to pay the fee.

⏳ How long is ETIAS valid for?

If approved, ETIAS will be valid for 3 years or until the passport you used to apply expires, whichever comes first. During that time, you can use it for multiple trips, always respecting the short stay limit.

In other words: you won't have to apply for a new one for each trip, but you will have to reapply if you change your passport or if the authorization has expired.

🚨 Beware of unofficial websites

This is one of the most important points to avoid confusion. The safest recommendation is to apply only through the official European Union channel once the system is enabled. Media outlets have warned that there are many unofficial sites that try to appear legitimate, overcharge, or collect personal data without sufficient guarantees.

So, if a page offers to get you ETIAS before it comes into effect, or pressures you to pay immediately, it is best to be suspicious ⚠️.

✈️ ETIAS does not organize your trip for you

Understanding ETIAS is important, yes. But it's still only one part of the trip. The rest still depends on your planning: where you're going to stay, what you're going to pack, and how you're going to arrange your connectivity when you arrive.

If you're still deciding on your accommodation, you might find it useful to read Hotels vs. Airbnb: how to choose accommodation (without regretting it) when traveling from Colombia to Europe and LATAM.

If you're at the packing stage and don't want to overpack or leave out important things, you can also check out What to pack for your trip to Europe? 🎒.

And if you want to avoid dealing with internet access once you've landed, it's worth checking out Choosing your internet plan is also part of the trip 📱.

So remember: ETIAS is not yet active, it will start in the last quarter of 2026, it will be processed online only, it will cost 20 euros, and it will apply to short trips to Europe for people who currently enter without a visa, like many Colombians.

And the most important part: if you are traveling from Colombia for tourism or business, ETIAS does not change the basic conditions of that trip; what it does is add a preliminary step that should be well understood and processed through the correct channel.