Schengen agreement and other Europe travel info? These are much easier to obtain than a few years ago. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are visa-free, Tajikistan has an easy online process, Uzbekistan is fairly easy and Turkmenistan is tricky. If you need a visa, applications can be made in person or via post at most of the republics’ overseas embassies or consulates. If your country doesn’t have Central Asian representation you’ll have to courier your passport to the nearest embassy, arrange a visa on arrival, or arrange your itinerary to get the visa in another Central Asian republic or elsewhere en route.
Europe is a fabulous travel destination, here are a few attractions you can visit. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse from Bruck, in the Pinzgau, to Heiligenblut, at the foot of the Grossglockner, was constructed between 1930 and 1935. Following the route of an old Roman road, it is one of the most magnificent mountain roads in Europe. Although its importance as a route through the Alps has declined, it’s still a splendid highway through the Hohe Tauern, Austria’s highest mountain massif and one of the country’s outstanding attractions. Running for 22 kilometers through the mountains at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, the road consists of a long succession of turns leading up to the summit tunnel on the Hochtor at 2,506 meters and then down into the valley on the far side. The road is the access to the massive Hohe Tauern mountain range, where Franz-Josefs-Hohe is famous across Europe for its spectacular views. Named after a visit paid by Kaiser Franz-Josef in 1856, this wonderful vantage point stands 2,422 meters above sea level and offers incredible vistas of the surrounding country. Prominent in the view is the Grossglockner which, at 3,798 meters, is Austria’s highest mountain. Be sure to stop at the visitor center for its detailed displays relating to the area’s history, as well as exhibits focusing on its glaciers and general tourist information.
An ETIAS travel authorisation does not reintroduce visa-like obligations. There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure. Whereas, as a general rule, a Schengen visa procedure can take up to 15 days, and can in some cases be extended up to 30 or 60 days, the online ETIAS application only takes a few minutes to fill in. The validity will be for a period of three years, significantly longer than the validity of a Schengen visa. An ETIAS authorisation will be valid for an unlimited number of entries.
Schengen Visa Fees and Costs: The general visa fee of EUR 80 (from 2020 incresing to EUR 80)must be paid when submitting the visa application. Children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years are paying a reduced price of EUR 40. Nationals of countries with which the EU has concluded Visa Facilitation Agreements shall pay a fee of EUR 35. A complete list with all fees and cost could be found in the section Schengen Visa Fees and Costs. See more information at Schengen Visa.
Working holiday visas are easy to get and the best way to extend your stay — even if you don’t want to work. Citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (and often South Korea and Japan) are eligible for one- to two-year working holiday visas from most of the Schengen countries. Applicants must apply for this visa from a specific country and be younger than 30 (though, in some cases, like for Canadians working in Switzerland, you can be as old as 35). Additionally, know you can get multiple working holiday visas. An Australian reader of mine got a two-year Dutch working holiday visa and then got one from Norway to stay two more years. While she and her boyfriend (who also got one) did odd jobs in Holland for a bit, they mostly used it as a way to travel around the continent. Note: This type of visa won’t allow you to work in any other country than the one that issued it.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), ETIAS is an important first step in the “digitalization of travel.” The end goal is the use of biometric technology – think fingerprints and facial recognition – to help provide the ultimate in security. The European Union (EU) agency driving this digital initiative is eu-LISA, the European Agency for the Operational Management of Large Scale IT Systems. It’s the very first EU agency established for the sole purpose of border and migration policies. Since it began operations in 2012, eu-LISA has been moving toward an all-digital, interoperable system so every key EU agency can get critical information to people on the front lines, such as border control and police.
Travel visas allow the bearer to enter a foreign country for touristic and leisure purposes only and stay for a predetermined amount of time. These visas do not entitle the holder to work or engage in any business activities in the host country. Countries have visa restrictions in order to check and control the flow of visitors in and out of the country and to prevent illegal immigration and other criminal activities. Forcing travellers to apply for a visa allows the authorities to vet potential visitors. For example, individuals may attempt to travel to a country with better economic opportunities in order to work illegally there. Find extra info at https://www.schengen-visa.com/.