ETIAS watchlist for Europe

The ETIAS watchlist is a security measure that will become operational once the European Union’s Visa Waiver (ETIAS) will be launched in 2025.
The overall purpose of ETIAS and the related watchlist is to make the EU and Schengen Area safer both to visitors and residents by cross-checking visa-free visitors’ details and background information so as to identify potential dangers to public security and health.

How will the ETIAS watchlist operate?

When ETIAS System will come to its official inception, all online applications for the Visa Waiver will be stored and profiled in the ETIAS Central Unit servers where any candidate’s details will be cross-checked with Europol database, VIS, SIS, ECRIS and other Databases from European Law Enforcement agencies for persons of interest. The Cross-checking protocol will be the under the operative control of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, who will be in charge of working on the system. The ETIAS database will in most cases contain all the necessary information to allow a quick decision to be reached with concern to the refusal or approval of ETIAS application; however, in certain situations, the circumstances will require additional intelligence regarding a specific candidate. To this extent, an ETIAS Watchlist record will be filed where there is a potential alert on the status of the applicant or on the truthfulness of the information written in application form.

The main goal of the Watchlist is to make the European Union and Schengen Area a safer place for visitors, citizens and residents alike.

The EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol, will oversee maintaining this list and taking adequate actions to face potential security threats often coming from individual that, so as to hide their intents, make use of false documents, aliases and provide false information on their background.

Countries that do not participate in the ETIAS program will not be granted access to the Watchlist database as they are or will run their own travel security protocols.

Purpose and implementation of the ETIAS Watchlist

The declared goals of ETIAS itself, EES and of the Watchlist are to:

  • Reinforce the external border of EU’s Schengen Area
  • Forestall vulnerabilities
  • Avoid radicalization

The watchlist stores data on these individuals in order to keep track of potential threats to Europe.

In order to do so the ETIAS Watchlist will store date on all individuals that could pose a criminal or terrorist threat.

The list will include intelligence not only on convicted criminals but will also gather data on those subjects who are a potential threat to European security according to a principle of reasonable belief.

Information gathered in the ETIAS watchlist will mainly come from three sources:

  • The United Nation’s list of war criminals
  • Information provided by EU and Schengen countries on any individual who has committed, or is likely to commit, an act of terrorism or a major criminal offense.
  • Information provided by international cooperation agencies on any individual who has committed, or is likely to commit, an act of terrorism or a major criminal offense.

Who will run the ETIAS Watchlist?

While the technological development of The ETIAS Watchlist is responsibility of eu-LISA the use of the database will be under the direct responsibility of Europol.

Europol tasks on the matter will not just include the need to create and manage the ETIAS Watchlist but also to keep the database updated through:

  • Technological upgrades
  • Cooperation with other national and international law enforcement agencies
  • Reinforced protocols for datasets controls and verifications

This last mission will be accomplished not only by adding information regarding any ETIAS applicant whose application form raises a red flag, but also by frequently reviewing all the record contained in the Watchlist and by removing files on those ETIAS candidates who were added in the list for an assessment caused by a subsequently clarified innocent mistake while filling out the application form.

What causes a Red Flag on the ETIAS Watchlist?

A red flag is quite simply an alert, concerning a certain individual, that leads to that person being filed in the Watchlist.

A red flag situation could arise, for a number of reasons, concerning any of the following set of data:

  • Use of surnames, given names or aliases that could show connections to terrorism or criminality
  • Date and place of birth
  • Current and/or previous Nationality
  • Passport details
  • Contact details
  • Visits to war zones or areas of conflict

Application data alerts will only constitute a part of the database since The ETIAS Watchlist will also store data on people who already have a police record for serious criminal or terrorist offences and even on those who are currently suspected of being involved in such activities. Medical conditions that could lead to a health or security issue within Europe are also factors that could cause the filing of a record in the database.

How will ETIAS watchlist operate on Visa Waiver applications?

Once ETIAS candidates are in the process of filling out the Visa Waiver application form, they will be asked to declare, among others, their biographical information. This data will be cross-checked with the records stored in the database and, if any match occurs, further investigation will be required. Such inquiry might lead to a delay in the decision-making process, up to 30 days, while most ETIAS application will be finalized in less than 72 hours.

Following the investigation ETIAS might be granted or denied. In both cases the candidate will receive the application outcome via e-mail. An explanation on reason leading to refusal could or could not be stated in the e-mail notification; regardless of this all applicants will have the right to appeal the decision.