How changes to Schengen Area entry policy will affect Hongkongers
A change to the Schengen Area’s visa-free entry policy will mean that Hong Kong passport holders will need to apply online to travel to the 26 European countries in the area. The new policy will come into force in 2021
Travel to Europe is about to get more complicated for Hongkongers.
From 2021, holders of Hong Kong passports will no longer be able to simply hop on a plane and arrive in most European countries with nothing more than a passport, owing to a policy change that will put an end to nearly two decades of completely open travel to much of Europe.
Instead, Hong Kong passport holders will need to apply for a travel authorisation before they travel to the 26 countries that make up the Schengen Area, whose member nations are Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The new regulation was approved by the European Commission in July, and the Commission formally established the pre-travel screening process, known as the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System, to increase security, on October 9.
The system will be rolled out for use by travellers in 2021.
