The ETIAS will concern citizens of all countries who currently enjoy a visa-waiver program to travel in the Schengen Area. Hence, Canadian passport holders – together with nationals of more than 60 other countries – who plan to travel to one of the 26 Member States will have to apply for an ETIAS as of 2021. Conversely, travellers who, at present, require a country-specific Schengen Visa in order to come to Europe will not be eligible for an ETIAS.All applicants will be subjected to the same online procedure, which will involve filling an electronic form with personal data, health and safety information and the respective Schengen country of entry.
Below is a list of all current visa-exempt countries as well as other special administrative regions, territories unrecognized by Schengen Country(s), and case-specific British nationals who are also eligible for an ETIAS:

Recently, Europe has been troubled by a wave of terrorist attacks – particularly those in Germany, Belgium, and France – and a growing immigration crisis in Greece and Italy. This has urged the European Union to consider alternatives for dealing with such hinges, which consequently prompted the European Commission to propose a series of legislative measures. Among these measures, the ETIAS arose as the best response to internal security issues as well as a way to improve control over illegal immigration.
Another application for the ETIAS lies in the fact that, nowadays, most immigration officers should make a relatively fast decision concerning the entry of travellers from visa-free countries based on limited information. Once the ETIAS is implemented, border officials will be able to carry out a broader security analysis before approving an entry into Europe. Plus, this system will also speed-up border control processes.
A key objective of the system is to cross-check information provided by applicants with that of different European and international databases. This will allow the EU to identify individuals who are susceptible to irregular migration or present a risk to internal security even before their departure for Europe. Although the ETIAS system is expected to approve the vast majority of applications, if the data crossing detects any information relevant to the security risk, the request will be processed by an agent who may require further information or even an interview.