Gozit

And I could get symptoms a few days after being let out of imprisonment quarantine too.

If testing on arrival is good enough for pretty much most of the EU and other countries why isn't it good enough for us?
I agree with you re the legal bit - this is a legal issue and should be a legal issue because you are restricting people's constitutionally protected freedoms. So it absolutely is a legal issue and the sweeping powers that are granted to UNELECTED public health officials should not be so in a democratic country.

That must have been a long time ago.

As an EU citizen I can apply for eVisitor (Free) to Australia online and NZETA ($35 NZD) Electronic travel authority.

As a Canadian the NZ one is the same and the Australian one costs a nominal fee.

DigitalGhost

That's still a visa though. Australia has a blanket visa policy for non-citizens and always has AFAIK. The New Zealand one is a more recent addition.

EU nationals get Australian e-visas free of charge because the EU threatened to remove visitor waiver rights for Australians if a cost was applied. ESTA and eTA manage to circumvent EU reciprocal visa laws by branding themselves as an authorisation system rather than a visa which is why you don't need one if you arrive at the Canadian/US land border.

Gozit

Interesting, I did not know that...makes sense to me.

I guess I don't equate eTAs to actual visas as they don't really require any strenuous info or refused for arbitrary reasons like, say, Russian or Chinese visas.

I wonder how long it will take the EU to deny entry to Canadians since the Canadian government refuses to reciprocate allowing EU citizens into the country for any reason.

DigitalGhost

eTA's aren't visas. They're travel authorisations. They're essentially a way to alleviate pressure on the airlines and government resources by preventing potentially inadmissible people from boarding flights in the first place. To be fair to Canada, eTA is one of the more affordable and passenger-friendly ones i.e. it only costs a few dollars and is valid for the life of a passport rather than just 1-2 years.

Your question is a very good one since the EU said it wouldn't waive travel restrictions on any country that didn't reciprocate for EU citizens. I honestly doubt they'll do anything about it though.

Jerseygirl

2018 Australia and NZ
2019 NZ

Gozit

As I said I guess it can go both ways. I don't see the eTA visas on the same caliber as actually having to go to an embassy and provide a letter of invitation, etc, pay $100+ and have the counterfoil visa put in your passport.

christmasoompa

What countries have made you do that? I've had visas for probably around 25 countries over the years and have never had to visit an embassy.

Gozit

Sorry, I suppose I should have said mail in your passport rathern than visit in person. I don't know of anywhere its specifically required to visit in person, but the rest of the documentation, letter of invitation I know for sure is required by Russia. Although EU citizens will be able to travel there with an eVisa as of 1/1/2021 so that will be nice.

christmasoompa

That sounds very specific to Russia, I've never visited there. Never required anything like that for any other country I've visited thankfully.

Siouxie

When I lived in Hong Kong and wanted to visit the US on our round the world trip - we were only in the US for 2 days total - my (then, now deceased) husband and I had to queue at the US Embassy gates to make an appointment to enter to submit our visa application and then return to collect our passports with the tourist visa in. I remember it well, but it was over 30 years ago, no doubt they have changed the requirements a few (dozen) times since then

scrubbedexpat091

The US can require an in person visit to an embassy or consulate for an interview.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...t/visitor.html


I guess the ETA when I went to Australia could be considered a visa of sorts, but it was really simple process, and didn't require me to leave my apartment.

bc2015

You still have to pay the $6 I-94 fee. At the land border you pay it directly to the agent, if flying it's included as part of fees in your ticket.

bc2015

If you have quarantined correctly then any infection you get is likely due to community transmission and not due to travel. I think 14 days is on the upper end of the potential infection period, I think 5-10 days after exposure is when most infections present (open to correction).

DigitalGhost

My Russian visa was done online but the Ruskies tend to make it up as they go along from what I've seen.

DigitalGhost

That's a landing tax that has always been there since I-94w was invented. If you book an international flight to the US then it's paid for by part of the airline ticket fee.