ETIAS Lithuania visa for Canadian citizens
Citizens of the Canada will be required to present an ETIAS visa when travelling to Lithuania. It will be possible to apply for and obtain the ETIAS visa online, by filling out the ETIAS application form online and receiving your permit via e-mail when the application is approved. This ETIAS visa will allow Canadian citizens to enter Lithuania for tourism, work, transit, or medical purposes, as long as the duration of the trip is under 90 days, and it will be valid for multiple trips made by air, sea, or land. In addition, minors and people over 70 years of age will be able to apply for ETIAS free of charge.
What is ETIAS?
The ETIAS visa will come into force in 2023, as part of a European Commission program aimed at strengthening European borders and keeping a digital track on all people travelling to the European Schengen Area. This program was already approved in 2016, after the terrorist attacks that affected some European countries. In the last years, the creation of the ETIAS visa system has been made possible by the expansion of data sharing between EU countries, that allows to connect the ETIAS applications with already existing databases from European authorities.
How does ETIAS Lithuania work for Canadians
From November 2023 Canadian citizens must be in possession of an ETIAS visa before embarking on a trip to Lithuania. However, if the trip has other purposes than those provided for the ETIAS visa, or a duration longer than 90 days, they will have to obtain a Schengen permit, at the embassy or consulate of Lithuania, respecting the timing and requirements for the visa they are applying for. Once issued, the ETIAS visa will be valid for 3 years, and it will allow multiple entries in Lithuania and other countries of the Schengen Area, as long as each trip is shorter than 90 days. In order to get your approved ETIAS in time for the trip, it is recommended to apply for ETIAS at least 4 days in advance. If ETIAS permit is denied, you can still apply for a Schengen visa at the embassy or consulate of Lithuania or present an appeal to the country that denied ETIAS.
ETIAS destinations for Canadians
From 2023 ETIAS visa will come into force for Canadians in order to travel to the following countries:
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
At the moment, Canadians are not required to have ETIAS permit to travel to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania, since these are not Schengen countries yet. However, this may change in the future, so please keep updated with the requirements.
ETIAS requirements for Canadians and how to apply
In order to apply for ETIAS visa, you have to be a Canadian citizen and hold a valid electronic passport issued by the Canada of America. If you are not entitled to an Canadian passport, you will require a full visitor Schengen permit.
ETIAS permit application can be completed online, entering all necessary information by following the required steps, and making sure all the data is entered correctly. Once the application form is completed, all citizens aged between 18 and 70 years will also have to pay a 7 euros fee, using a credit or debit card. Typically, most ETIAS permits are issued within few minutes, or at most in a few hours, and you will receive the approved ETIAS visa via e-mail as a PDF file.
In addition to that, it will not be necessary to print the visa, because your data will already be in the possession of the European Schengen authorities, and it will be linked to the passport data provided during the application. Anyway, to avoid delays, it is recommended to apply for the ETIAS permit at least 4 days prior to the departure, to make sure that the ETIAS is approved and to have the necessary time to provide any additional documents should they be required. In the rare instance where an ETIAS permit is not approved, you can apply for a Schengen permit at the embassy or consulate of Lithuania. To avoid mistakes that could lead to delays in the ETIAS approval, it is highly recommended to carefully read and check all the ETIAS visa requirements.
How much does the ETIAS Lithuania visa cost for Canadians
The ETIAS visa application for Canadians has a cost of 7 euros for all citizens between 18 and 70 years old, which has to be paid at the end of the online application procedure, using a credit or debit card. Citizens under 18 and over 70 years of age are entitled to apply for ETIAS free of charge.