Malaysians Entering EU Countries Need To Apply For Visa From 2021

Starting from 2021, Malaysian citizens who plan to visit Europe will need to apply for an ETIAS visa online. ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) was created to improve the screening of travelers to the region. The system was designed by the EU to strengthen border control and to protect both Europeans living in the Schengen zone, and visitors traveling to it.

Up until 2021, Malaysians do not need to apply for a visa to enter Europe for trips up to 90 days, however, this will change starting from 2021 when this new immigration rule is implemented. Why is there a new visa rule, you ask? Well, the ETIAS is an effort to curb the recent terrorist attacks and uncontrolled migration flows in the EU.

The ETIAS will thoroughly check every application using various EU security databases like the Schengen Information System, the Entry/Exit System, Europol, and Interpol databases before approving an applicant. So, this will prevent any dangerous or unauthorized people from entering the EU.

Apart from Malaysia, this system only applies to 60 countries.

Is your country listed in this list?

Source:ETIAS Visa

HOW TO APPLY ETIAS VISA?

Applicant needs to have:

• a valid passport
• an email address (the approval or rejection of the visa status will be sent to this email you provided)
• a debit or credit card (to pay for the application fee which is estimated at 10 Euros which is roughly RM48) *applicants under the age of 18 do not need to pay the fee 

The ETIAS application requires applicant to complete the following details:

• full name
• date of birth
• country of residency
• home address
• contact information
• travel document information
• security questions (Inform authorities of any convictions for serious criminal offences. Examples: include terrorism, sexual exploitation of children, trafficking in human beings or drugs, murder and rape.)
• health-related questions

If your application is approved, you will receive an authorisation directly by email and in case of denial, you will receive an email explaining the reason for refusal so you will know why your application was rejected. Once approved, it is valid for 3 years from the date of issuance or until the expiry date of the passport, whichever comes first.

Currently there are 26 countries in Europe that will require an ETIAS Visa authorization as an added security measure.

If you're entering any of these country, you will need ETIAS Visa

NOTE: EU countries Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus and Irelandare not part of the Schengen Area and have their regulations regarding visa authorizations.

The ETIAS visa is a travel authorization for business or touristic purposes, and will not be a substitute for a student or working visa.

Any third country nationals who wish to live, study, work, or remain in Europe longer than 90 consecutive days, will have to apply for a different type of visa.


WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AFTER YOUR APPLICANT IS APPROVED?

1. Make sure you carry a printout of your ETIAS authorisation, even though it is linked to your passport.
Without the email printout, you might be denied boarding at the airport.

2. Do check the status of your ETIAS few days before your departure date as it can be revoked and annulled if the conditions for issuing it no longer apply.

3. If you're visiting multiple EU countries, you will have to pass through the first country you have stated in your application. For example, if you're planning to visit Portugal, Spain and France, and you have written in your application that the first country you will visit is France, then you must go through France before visiting Spain and Portugal.

The Pros and Cons of Travelling Alone

I like to travel on my own because I like the freedom to plan my own itinerary. I don't like being rushed by tour guides or having to quickly get onto the tour bus to rush to the next site. Therefore, I have been travelling alone ever since my first attempt at it.

No doubt, everything you do has its pros and cons but since the pros weigh more than the cons and I don't mind the cons at all, hence, I enjoy my holiday all by myself. I get to meet and talk to new people, other fellow solo travellers when I stay in a hostel in a shared room. It's a nice feeling to get to meet and know a little bit about the cities they come from and we would share our travel experiences and stories.

So, here's a list of pros and cons on travelling alone.

PROS:

1. You get to plan your own itinerary on where to go, what to see without worrying sacrificing  your wish just to accommodate others.
2. You can spend as long as you want at any place you like. You can sit and enjoy the nature in a park the whole afternoon, or you could visit all the museums the entire day without worrying having to see so little just because your friends don't like museums.
3. If you don't like a place, you can just walk out and go visit another place without having to wait for your friends if you're travelling with them in a group.
4. You have the freedom all to yourself on what to eat, where to eat without compromising just to get everyone else's approval.
5. You get to meet new people along the way, other solo travellers or a couple/family if you stay at places such as hostel or a shared room.
6. You learn more about yourself when you travel alone. It opens up not only your eyes but your mind too.
7. You will learn to be more alert and careful of the surrounding when you're alone in a foreign place.

CONS:

1. You may be paying more for your accommodation if you're staying alone because if two persons stay in a double bed room, the cost could be split because you're both sharing.
2. You have no dining companion and it could be difficult to get a table in a restaurant in which each table is normally cater for at least a couple rather than single diner.
3. You have no one to talk or discuss to about the sights you visit.
4. No one to take photos for you. All you could do is selfie if you're travelling alone.

Berlin Travel Guide

Brandenburg Gate

[Photo taken with my Huawei smartphone]

10 Fun Facts about Berlin

• Berlin has the largest train station in Europe. 
• Berlin is nine times bigger than Paris. Yup! That is why sometimes you feel you are the only one walking alone in the whole park/garden because it's so huge and spacious!
• Berlin is the only city in the world with three active opera houses. The auditoriums of the Berliner Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Komische Oper can play to a total of 4,411 audience members.On top of that, Berlin has over 150 theaters and halls for every type of event. 
• There are nine castles in Berlin. These include the Schloss Charlottenburg and the Köpenicker Schloss, as well as six former manors and mansions, which are also called Schlösschen (little castles) in common parlance. 
• The East Side Gallery is the longest open air gallery in the world and also has the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall at 1,316 km. The section showcases 100 murals that were painted by 118 artists from 21countries.
• Did you know that over 60 tons of kebab meat are eaten in Berlin every day? There are more kebab stores in Berlin than in Istanbul.
• Berlin has more bridges than Venice – around 1,700 of them. But because Berlin is huge and it's all spread out, the bridges are not as close as those you see around the tiny island of Venice. It is also said that Berlin has more waterways than Amsterdam, Stockholm and Venice combined!
• The Berlin Zoo is not only the most visited Zoo in Europe but also hosts 1,380 different animal species and over 18,662 animals. The Zoo is said to have the largest stock of animals in the world.
• With almost 200 museums, Berlin is said to have more museums than rainy days as according to the weather analysis data, Berlin has 106 rainy days per year.
• Street musicians are only allowed to play in 42 out of 173 underground stations for up to 1 hour or up to 15 minutes on pedestrian zones.

My Experience In Berlin

Berlin being the largest city and the capital city of Germany is actually a very multi-racial and world-class city. It has attracted so many foreign expats and tourists each year that only 1 in every 4 people in Berlin is a local. And if you're worried about language barrier, you can put your fear aside because people under the age of 40 can speak English although with heavy German accent.

Germans may seem unfriendly with that cold expressionless look on their face but they are actually very helpful and kind. I still remember the first day I was in Berlin, I had no small notes to buy the ticket at the ticket machine and when I ask a local who was buying his ticket next to me if he has any small notes to change with my big note, he just pull out his wallet and handed me some small notes without saying or asking anything. It was that trust and kindness that is shown by the people there.

On another incident, I was supposed to walk to a bus stop to take a bus to Dresden but I got lost. I approached a lady at a random bus stop and she took out her tablet to open the map and search for me the direction from where we're standing. She showed me the map and taught me how to get there. In order to get reassurance, she asked another lady who was also waiting at the bus stop. I was so touched by their kindness to help a lost tourist.

Initially, Berlin was not really at the top of my choice of city to visit in Germany because I prefer to visit old towns, seeing old castles, palaces, somewhere more towards the old German sights but I'm glad I didn't skip Berlin because Berlin is a city that shows you the past, the present, and the future.

If you like to know about the past, Berlin offers great, beautiful palaces, many big museums filled with historical stuff and paintings that you can never finished visiting. And if you like something futuristic, you can see lots of modern architecture and high-rise buildings and towers with unique and out-of-this-world design. In short, no matter which type of traveller you are, Berlin has something to offer for everyone.

Here are 10 places that I recommend for those who are visiting Berlin for the first time.

1. Brandenburg Gate
2. Humboldt University (Berlin's oldest university where Marx and Engels studied and the Brothers Grimm and Albert Einstein taught)
3. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (also known as Holocaust Memorial)
4. Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral; a majestic 1800s cathedral with an organ with 7,000 pipes, royal tombs and a dome for city view)
5. Tiergarten Park (the largesst and oldest park)
6. Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace, Baroque summer palace with huge garden and rooms filled with paintings, tapestries, and porcelain exhibits)
7. Gendarmenmarkt (It's a beautiful square with 3 promiment buildings; the Konzerthaus, Deutscher Dom, and Franzosischer Dom)
8. Pergamon Museum (if you only have time for one museum, this is the one!)
9. Zoologischer Garten Berlin (The Berlin Zoological Garden is the oldest and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844 it covers 35 hectares and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten)
10. Galeries Lafayette (a futuristic looking shopping mall with glass funnel that reflects light like mutated hologram designed by architect Jean Nouvel. This mall offers food with high quality and good brands of clothing and other merchandise products)

REMINDER: Please check online or the official website for the opening and closing time, admission fee for palace/museum you wish to visit.