US Passport Holder Planning to Travel to Europe? You will need travel authorization starting 2024
Monica Zafra • August 17, 2023
The EU announced that starting 2024, travelers from 60 visa-free countries will need to obtain a new authorization to travel to Europe. This authorization is received from the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). This system is incredibly similar to the U.S. counterpart ESTA and seeks to increase security within the EU.
This ETIAS travel authorization is linked to the traveler's passport and is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever is first. With a valid ETIAS travel authorization, entry to European countries is valid for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. ETIAS travel will include general tourism, business, transit, or medical purposes.
There is no launch date announced yet, but ETIAS is expected to be operational in 2024 per the EU. The fee to fill out this ETIAS form is 7 euros / $8 US dollars and asks for basic biographic information as well as details about the traveler's planned dates of travel.
Some tips to keep in mind:
- It is highly recommended to complete this application at least 96 hours before departure.
- Even if the ETIAS application is denied, travelers can still apply for a visitor visa.
- ETIAS does not guarantee entry to Europe as the border security officer of the European country will still evaluate the traveler's passport upon arrival.
The application and all details are listed on the EU travel website:
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/what-etias_en
This blog is not intended to be legal advice and nothing here should be construed as establishing an attorney client relationship. Please schedule a consultation with an immigration attorney before acting on any information read here.
Monica Zafra
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