Every traveller crossing the external border of the Schengen area goes through security controls, but the steps differ depending on citizenship. Here is what those checks involve and how they are about to change.
When the European Commission published its ETIAS proposal in 2016, it was careful to stress that the scheme was not a reaction to Brexit. It had been expected for years and was modelled on the United States' ESTA. Here is how the original plan was framed.
On 5 September 2018 the Council of the EU adopted the regulation creating ETIAS, a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to the Schengen area. The text laid out how the system would work and when it should go live.