EU - VISA

[adunn1992]

Does anyone have more information regarding the VISA requirements starting next year? I'm thinking about traveling to Europe for the first time.

[mike carey]

There is no change to visa requirements for the Schengen Zone, but new electronic travel authorisations will be required by visa-exempt travellers from an as-yet unspecified date in 2024. The authorisation will allow you to enter via any of the 30 Schengen countries and stay in the zone for up to 90 days in any 180 day period (the 90 days is cumulative, the count does not restart if you leave and re-enter). The UK and Ireland are not part of the zone and have separate entry requirements you'd need to meet.  There are details on this EU web page.

What is ETIAS

TRAVEL-EUROPE.EUROPA.EU

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The rules of travel to Europe have changed. Starting from 2024, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt...

 

[NYC_Lover]

On 9/26/2023 at 10:58 PM, adunn1992 said:

Does anyone have more information regarding the VISA requirements starting next year? I'm thinking about traveling to Europe for the first time.

sure thing, are you a full US citizen?

[adunn1992]

2 minutes ago, NYC_Lover said:

sure thing, are you a full US citizen?

Yep born and raised US citizen.

[Marc in Calif]

On 9/26/2023 at 8:58 PM, adunn1992 said:

Does anyone have more information regarding the VISA requirements starting next year? I'm thinking about traveling to Europe for the first time.

If you've read the ETIAS information that @mike careyprovided, you should have all the details.

You apply for ETIAS authorization online. When you receive the approved ETIAS authorization, it's good for three years (or until your current passport expires). It's electronically connected to your passport number, but it doesn't appear in your passport.

When you have the ETIAS authorization, you can enter those 30 countries (excludes UK and Ireland) as often as you like for a total of 90 days within a 180-day period. 

[+ tassojunior]

It's the usual reciprocal international visa treatment standard. EU citizens can only enter the US on an ESTA good for 3 years for up to 90 days at a time. So the EU is doing it to us with slight modification and a higher fee (of course). They really really promise although they didn't get it up and running for two years they will by the end of next year. Maybe. (The tourist industry there is not thrilled). But ESTA takes 10 minutes online. 

[SirBillybob]

Postponed again. Likely May 2025. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by SirBillybob

[Alfstoria]

On 10/18/2023 at 4:45 PM, SirBillybob said:

Postponed again. Likely May 2025. 

Really? Nice. It's just an additional step for €7, but I'm glad I don't have to do it yet.

Apart from the fee and bureaucracy, I don't see any difference. Can't we enter the EU as many times as we want for 90 days, anyway?

Edited October 23, 2023 by Alfstoria

[mike carey]

4 hours ago, Alfstoria said:

Apart from the fee and bureaucracy, I don't see any difference. Can't we enter the EU as many times as we want for 90 days, anyway?

No, not as many times as you want, only for 90 days in any 180 day period. So if you are there for 90 days, you have to wait a further 90 days before you can return and the limits apply now before the ETIAS comes into force. And it's not the EU but the Schengen area, and although for most travellers it's effectively the same, the overlap is not complete. It includes non-EU countries like Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, and excludes EU countries Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Gibraltar is not in the Schengen area. French and Dutch overseas territories, like those in the Caribbean (and St Pierre et Miquelon!) are also outside Schengen.