Latin American countries that need ETIAS – SEIAV

2026 is the year when the new way of traveling to Europe, with prior authorization, will finally come into effect. However, it is not necessary for all Latin American countries, although it is for almost all of them. Countries such as Belize, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Suriname must continue to follow the visa application process as they have been doing up to now. Nothing will change for them, as the reason is not unique or “automatic,” but rather the result of immigration and diplomatic assessments by the European Union.

The Latin American countries that WILL need ETIAS from approximately mid-2026 onwards will be: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. In other words, if you are a citizen of any of these countries and want to travel to European countries that require ETIAS for short stays (up to 90 days within 180 days) for tourism, business, or transit, you will have to apply for authorization before your trip. These countries do NOT require a Schengen visa. ETIAS – SEIAV is a travel permit and must be requested before boarding the plane that takes you to your destination in Europe. ETIAS is not a visa, but an electronic travel authorization for people who were previously able to enter without a conventional visa.

Quick comparison:

Country Schengen visa ? ETIAS?
México ❌ No ✅ yes
Argentina ❌ No ✅ yes
Bolivia ✅ yes ❌ No
Dominican Rep. ✅ yes ❌ No

As for the number of applications that will be received in the different Schengen countries, there are statistics that predict which countries will submit more ETIAS – SEIAV applications compared to others. This estimate is based on travel and migration trends, not on specific ETIAS data, because the system has not yet generated public statistics on specific applications.

Probable prediction (without official data) of Latin American countries with the most ETIAS applications:

  1. Brasil 🇧🇷 — first most probable

  2. Colombia 🇨🇴 — second most probable

  3. Argentina 🇦🇷

  4. México 🇲🇽

  5. Perú 🇵🇪

Brazilian visitors like to travel to: Portugal, France, Italy, and Spain.
Colombian visitors tend to travel to: Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.
Argentinian visitors are motivated to visit: Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal.
Mexican visitors mainly travel to: Spain, France, Italy, and Germany.
Peruvian visitors fly to: Spain, Italy, France, and Germany.

All of this data has been collected through various means and is based on past trends. Very soon, we will have reliable data on travel to Europe from Latin American countries, which will be compiled by both the EES system and ETIAS – SEIAV.