Currently, American residents traveling to the majority of European countries, including Italy, France, Greece, Spain, and Germany, do not need a visa if they stay there for no more than 90 days. However, widespread posts on Instagram and X, previously Twitter, indicate that this may change in 2024. According to these million-view postings, US residents will soon need to get a visa to go to Europe in 2024.
Obtaining a visa often adds extra stages of preparation to your trip. Thus, you may need to prepare a pack of documents and visit a consulate or embassy for a visa interview. If you do not have a passport ready or need to change a photo in it — this adds even more mess to the travel planning process. Fortunately, you can get a CVS passport photo for $0.33 same day, but still some preparation and planning are necessary to get all your paper stuff ready for the trip. So what’s the case? And will you be required to get a visa for your next trip to Europe? Let’s figure out that together.
Visa Requirements for Americans Visiting Europe
According to the European Union, beginning in mid-2025, US citizens and residents of many other nations would be compelled to apply for travel authorization prior to entering a group of 30 European countries. Although this is not the same as applying for a visa, it requires extra effort on your end.
According to the European Commission, this permission, known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), is different from a visa and does not necessitate visa-like requirements for travel. The purpose of ETIAS is to strengthen Europe’s security and safety without jeopardizing its visa-free travel arrangements with foreign nations.
Americans will require ETIAS clearance to visit the Schengen Area, which is mostly made up of European Union member nations and those bordering the EU. As the European Union states, ETIAS will be an online application that will be handled in minutes. However, if you are called to an interview, you will need to wait for a visa decision to be made.
To apply for ETIAS, most individuals will have to pay 7 Euros (about $7.61). Applicants under the age of 18 or above the age of 70, or family members of EU residents having the ability to freely roam across the EU, are excluded from this charge.
When you apply, you will be requested to provide the following information:
- Your name, date and place of birth, nationality, parents’ full names, home address, email address, and phone number;
- Travel documents;
- Details about your education and career, as well as your expected trip and stay in any of the ETIAS-required countries;
- Details regarding any criminal convictions, previous journeys to war or conflict zones, and if you have lately been the subject of a judgment forcing you to leave any country’s territory.
The main difference between ETIAS and a visa is that visas demand more information and take longer to process. According to the European Commission, the procedure for obtaining a Schengen Area visa might take up to 15 days, and in certain circumstances up to 60 days, whereas the online ETIAS application can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Why Is ETIAS Necessary?
“There is no need to go to a consulate to submit an application; no biometric data is to be provided, and significantly less infor is gathered than during a visa application procedure,” as the European Commission states on their website. “The validity period will be three years, which is significantly longer than the validity period of a Schengen visa.”
ETIAS allows you to stay in most of Europe for up to 90 days during any 180-day period, which is the maximum amount of time you may presently stay in Europe without a visa. The document is good for three years or until your travel papers expire, whichever comes first. When your ETIAS permission expires, you must apply for a new one. And the application process is the same.
Your ETIAS travel permission will be connected to the travel document you used to apply. As a result, to enter Europe, you’ll require a travel document, such as your passport. Border guards will still check to see whether you fulfill European entry requirements before allowing you to enter any ETIAS nations.
According to the European Union, if you have a stopover in a European airport, you do not require ETIAS travel permission. You only need an ETIAS permit if you exit the international transit region of the airport you’re traveling into, which requires passing through customs procedures.
Are There Any Exceptions?
You will not be allowed to enter the UK using ETIAS; British nationals will require ETIAS travel permission to go via the Schengen Area, according to the British Parliament. However, the British Parliament has said that beginning in 2024, admission into the United Kingdom would require its own electronic travel authorization (ETA). Let’s see how it evolves with official statements and permissions.
Travel Wisely
If you are planning your next trip to Europe, we strongly recommend that you check the latest information about ETIAS. Thus, you can be sure to enter European countries with no issues. In case you want to see the other side of the USA, here are the top places to visit in America.
