Nationals from more than 60 countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and even England will be required to possess a European travel visa (“authorisation”) before entering one of the EU’s 28 countries (and two other Schengen-pending countries, for lack of a better term).
The rule goes into effect in 2024.
(My apologies. Commenter “og.” commented, ETIAS is an authorization, not a visa. As ETIAS.com notes, “ETIAS is a new electronic travel authorisation that is for travellers who currently can travel to Europe without a visa. The Schengen Visa, on the other hand, is a visa that is currently required for travel to Europe for travellers are unable to travel to EU countries without a visa.” {sic}
Given that an overwhelming majority of this blog’s audience is U.S.-based, let’s just call it a visa. Mmkay?
EU Travel Visas
EU travel visas (“European Travel Information and Authorization System” or “ETIAS”) will be available to purchase online and cost EUR 7 or about USA $7.74 (I’m guessing the transaction will be processed somewhere in the EU, so make sure you use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.) Applicants under 18 or above 70 years of age are exempt from paying the fee. The visa is valid for all of the countries. (Think of it like a country hopper pass. Except for far cheaper and more fun than a Disney Park Hopper pass.)
The EU’s official travel site notes, “Also exempt are family members of EU citizens or of non-EU nationals who have the right to move freely throughout the European Union.” (Break out that family tree! Remember, the UK no longer counts!) Here’s a list of the 60 counties whose nationals will be required to get ETIAS if they want to visit Europe.
The visas won’t be physical but rather linked electronically to your passport.
EU travel visas will be valid for three (3) years — or until your passport expires (which happens first).
“With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period,” the EU’s travel site explains. “However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions.”
How long will you have to wait to know whether or not you’re approved?
“Most applications are processed within minutes,” the travel site says. However, some applications could take longer — such as four days. Or maybe 14 days “if you are requested to provide additional information or documentation.” Here’s my favorite part: it may require you to wait “up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview.” That’s cute. “Invited to interview.” 🙂
I appreciate that it’ll take only a few minutes (hopefully). My wife and I had to surrender our passports for, like, two weeks to the China consulate general’s office before our visas were approved for a Beijing trip.
What Will You Need to Submit with Your Application?
The EU site says:
- Personal information including your name(s), surname, date and place of birth, nationality, home address, parents’ first names, email address and phone number
- Travel document details
- Details about your level of education and current occupation
- Details about your intended travel and stay in any of the countries requiring ETIAS
- Details about any criminal convictions, any past travels to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been subject of a decision requiring you to leave the territory of any country
Which Countries Will Require EU Travel Visas?
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Bulgaria and Romania aren’t yet Shengen countries but eventiually will be.
ETIAS is also required if you want to visit these other micro-states:
- Andorra
- Monaco
- San Marino
- Vatican City
When Can You Apply for EU Travel Visas?
Later this year? Sometime next year? We don’t yet know. Rest assured that a bunch of us will all blog about it at the same time 🙂
Final Approach
Beware that the EU will require you to hold an EU travel visa starting next year. It’ll cost just under $8, and everything can be processed online. Hopefully, it won’t be too much of a hassle to register. But for people who know about it or plan ahead and but then show up to travel — yikes.
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This is just more trouble. The USAF should begin bombing Brussels. What the EU and the US should come to an agreement is that this kind of visa or visa equivalent will be free for Americans visiting the EU and citizens EU countries that currently have visa waiver participation with the US will get their US ESTA free.
This is just countries getting on the resort fee bandwagon…or rather the resort fee enhancement.
this is not a visa. it’s a travel authorization that is obtained easily by 98% of the applicants. this type of TA is also sought for entry into the USA (ESTA), Canada (eTA) or Australia (ETA) for those citizens who expressly DO NOT require visas for tourism to enter these countries. Australians were the first to introduce this in 1996 and the State Dept deemed this not to be a visa at the time and never introduced visas for AUS citizens in reciprocity. ETIAS is basically running the applicant through basic sec. databases so this doesn’t have to be done at the border which can potentially cause a holdup or denied entry. the system will also count the days spent in the schengen area within the previous 6 months so stamps will become obsolete (big deal for US citizens who travel a lot and who have to wait quite a bit for passport renewal). but they key thing is that this isn’t a visa and this should be corrected – it is also pennies compared to the cost of a real US visa.
Thanks for the note.
The terminology surrounding the ever-more-popular “travel authorizations”—the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the EU all have or soon will use them—can confuse travelers. Governing authorities go to lengths to describe them as “not visas.” This is largely to avoid destroying visa-waiver regimes that exist between and among various countries and authorities. For the most part, only those people exempt from traditional visa requirements need ETAs. You therefore need either a visa or an ETA. But never both. Is an ETA a visa? In a colloquial sense, yes. But governments won’t call it a visa. And that can confuse travelers as they search a government web site to determine what they need to obtain before traveling.
I assume not but does this also apply to transfers without European countries?
Having grown up being able to enter Europe for free, I can’t see myself remembering to do this if I travel to Europe and I’m certainly not going to do it just in case I might go.
It’s also ridiculous that you have to do it when traveling to the USA (ESTA).
it does not if you are transferring because you will be entering the EU. however, getting this is easy and everyone should have it on hand. if one’s denied, they have bigger fish to fry
it does not if you are transferring because you will not be entering the schengen area. however, getting this is easy and everyone should have it on hand. if one’s denied, they have bigger fish to fry
I clicked your link for colonels yearly silver. I am a
MM.
I entered my sky miles number and submitted the info . It came back with Ararat LETTERS
wHHOPS! Enter correct information!
So what happened to other people
Who tried ?
You’re a Million Miler so you already get annual/lifetime Silver.
Great reporting! There needs to be some steps to educate our friends at CBS though:
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/european-union-american-travelers-fill-out-visa-application/
said CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg…
“Because if they institute it, there is nothing to stop the Americans from instituting a visa charge for them to come into the United States,” said Greenberg.
And now that article is being picked up by many other outlets… but what many Americans (and apparently a travel editor, no less) don’t seem to realize is that the ESTA is the same for all visa waiver countries for travel or transit via the US. So before us US citizens start raising pitchforks, it would be nice to look first in the mirror.