Flags of European Union countries. Photo: Peg IT/ Damien
European Union announced on Wednesday that Hong Kong citizens will need to apply for travel authorization to be able to visit 27 European countries that the city was visa free into.
The European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao earlier stated that, as from this year's fall, two new entry requirements for non-EU travelers visiting any of EU countries would be established that include the requirement to register their fingerprints and facial images at the entry point.
Therefore, it was made known that around 60 countries including Hong Kong that do not need visa to visit around 30 EU countries would now be required to apply for travel authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
The traveller would have to apply online prior to the flight and the cost of the permit would be €7(HK$60) which is meant to be used for three years.
The new system was reported to commence in the first half of 2025.
2025年起香港公民前往30個免簽證歐洲國家須取得入境許可
歐盟週三宣布，香港公民需要申請旅行許可才能前往免簽證進入的30個歐洲國家。
歐盟駐港澳辦事處早前表示，從今年秋天開始，將對前往任何歐盟國家的非歐盟旅客制定兩項新的入境規定，其中包括在入境點登記指紋和臉部圖像的規定。
因此，據悉，包括香港在內的約60個國家無需簽證即可前往30個歐盟國家，現在需要透過歐洲旅行資訊和授權系統（ETIAS）申請旅行授權。
旅客必須在航班起飛前在線申請，許可證費用為 7 歐元（60 港元），有效期為三年。
據報道，新系統將於 2025 年上半年投入使用。
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