In April, the Commission set out proposals to assess whether a new EU tool to address the visa entry requirements was necessary.

It is considering whether to introduce an EU Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), where visa-exempt travellers would register relevant information regarding their intended journey. The automatic processing of this information could help border guards in their assessment of third-country visitors arriving for a short stay.

The EU draft legislation is set to be released before the end of 2016.

The individual charge per person is likely to be set at £10, although the final pricing and system structure would be part of the wider Brexit negotiations.

Countries such as the US, Canada and Australia have already put similar systems into place, including for EU citizens.

The EU system would work like the current US ESTA visa waiver programme, which allows eligible tourists and visitors to apply online for a visa waiver for $14 (£10.50), rather than going through the visa interview process as required for most non-EU citizens. This is valid for two years and allows multiple entries to the US.

Travel authorisation systems are based on online applications where the applicant provides details on his/her identity, contact details, purpose of the journey, itinerary, etc, before departure. Once the authorisation is obtained, border procedures at arrival become faster and smoother.

The Commission stated in the briefing document that ‘beyond the security and border management benefits, and its potential relevance in the context of visa-reciprocity, a system like ETIAS would also serve as a travel facilitation tool’.

The April 2016 European Commission Stronger and Smarter Information Systems for Borders and Security COM(2016) 205 is available here