The E.U. will introduce a new pre-travel authorisation system, a bit like the one that the U.S., Australia and Canada already have. This will mean that if you want to visit any of the European Union countries, including Denmark, and you are not an E.U. passport holder yourself, you may need to get permission to arrive in Europe before you travel. The new system, which won’t be officially in place until the beginning of 2025, is called the European Union Travel Information Authorisation System. The system will be known by its acronym ETIAS. It is not a full visa like the Schengen Visa that many visitors to Europe do need before coming here, but more of a visa waiver. The purpose of implementing such a system is that it is foreseen to help the E.U. member states more effectively control who is allowed into the E.U.
Is Denmark part of the Schengen Block?
Yes, it is along with almost every other E.U. country. A few haven’t joined Schengen, mainly because they want to have more say in who enters their country, but some that aren’t in Schengen soon will be. Schengen is just about entry arrangements and immigration, while the E.U. is about much more like trade arrangements. Basically, if you are a Schengen member citizen you have free movement across all other Schengen countries. Also, if you get a Schengen visa, because you are not an E.U. passport holder, you will then be allowed to enter any other Schengen country for the 90 day maximum stay.
Is Denmark worth visiting?
Denmark gets a lot of visitors from the rest of Europe, but doesn’t get a lot of tourists from outside Europe. Perhaps there is a feeling that there are more interesting places to see elsewhere. If you have the time, then Denmark has plenty of interest, in fact. It even has a lot of beaches, even though the weather makes them less attractive except on sunny days at the height of summer than those further South on the Mediterranean Coast. Denmark’s main appeal comes from it being a modern, safe and clean country with attractive villages and buildings as well as over 400 islands. If you do end up in Denmark and are able to go tripping around outside of the Danish capital of Copenhagen you are certain to spend quite a lot of time jumping from one island to another on Denmark’s excellent ferry system.
Will I need a Denmark ETIAS visa waiver?
Right at the moment, the ETIAS pre-travel authorisation system hasn’t yet been deployed. It has just been confirmed that it will probably be introduced at the beginning or early 2025. If you are an on E.U. passport holder and not from Denmark or one or two other Schengen member states, you may need an ETIAS for Denmark in the future if you hold one of 60 different passports belonging to countries whose citizens haven’t needed a visa to enter Europe.
For instance, if you are an American, Canadian, Japanese, Australian or Singaporean, just to mention a few countries, you will need an ETIAS in 2025 when the authorization comes into force. The cost of the ETIAS will be €7 and approved authorizations will be valid for a period of 3 years after issuance. Your travel agent and airline website will know when the rules change or you can check our assessment to determine if you will need an ETIAS or Schengen visa.