ETIAS guide: Americans need a ‘visa’ to visit Europe in 2025
Come 2025, Americans and Brits will be required to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System and pay a small fee to visit Europe’s Schengen Area.
Although sometimes referred to as a “visa,” this is actually just an online application and preauthorization. It will be much easier and much less expensive to obtain than a traditional travel visa.
ETIAS is set to launch sometime around May 2025, though the launch date has been pushed back many times (most recently from 2024); it could be bumped again. In fact, the region has discussed instituting the program since 2016.
The new program will require travelers from countries outside Europe’s Schengen Area to fill out an application before arrival and pay a fee of 7 euros (about $8) to enter any European Union or Schengen Area country.
Prior to ETIAS’ launch, the EU will roll out its long-delayed “Entry/Exit System” on Nov. 10, 2024. The new program will apply to travelers to the Schengen Area and require them to provide fingerprint and facial biometric data.
The EES will not be in operation for visitors to Ireland and Cyprus; although those destinations are in the EU, they fall outside the Schengen Area.
What does this mean for future trips to Europe? Here’s everything you need to know about the new ETIAS program.
What is ETIAS?
ETIAS is a visa-waiver program similar to the current Electronic System for Travel Authorization used for European visitors in the U.S.
The form will act as a preauthorization system to allow travelers from 60 countries outside the Schengen Area, including the U.K. and the U.S., to enter the region for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a full visa.
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ETIAS will cross-check visitor information with government databases and watchlists before issuing authorization to enter. The information collected will also be used in data tracking for business and tourism purposes.
“We need to know who is crossing our borders,” Jean-Claude Juncker, former European Commission president, said last year. “This way, we will know who is traveling to Europe before they even get here.”
Is ETIAS a visa?
ETIAS is not a traditional European visa and will only require a seemingly quick online application.
Travelers will fill out an online form with basic personal information, travel plans and history, then answer a few security questions. The authorities promise that most applicants will be approved within an hour. However, if your application is flagged, it could take up to four days.
Which countries will require ETIAS?
Quite a few nations will require ETIAS approval. They include full Schengen members that previously didn’t require any authorization for Americans, such as Spain, France and Italy.
Also included are European Free Trade Association nations like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
Several future Schengen member nations, including Bulgaria and Cyprus, and smaller territories like Andorra and Monaco will also require ETIAS.
Here is the full list of countries that will require ETIAS:
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Vatican City
Do US and UK citizens need to apply for ETIAS?
American citizens (as well as those from the U.K. and the 62 other non-EU countries not currently required to apply for visas) will need ETIAS authorization to enter the EU for visits of up to 90 days. This includes transit passengers.
If you have applied separately for a visa to enter Europe, you will not need to complete the ETIAS application.
When will I need to apply for the ETIAS visa?
The ETIAS is widely expected to launch around May 2025. “Starting in the first half of 2025, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorisation to enter most European countries,” the EU said.
However, the launch may not happen along this exact timeline and could even be staggered. The EU has said that the ETIAS launch will be followed by a transitional period of around six months. Within this period, travelers should apply for the visa; it’s unlikely you will be refused entry to a country during your travels as long as you also fulfill other entry conditions.
These conditions include having a passport issued no more than 10 years before the date you enter the EU and with a validity of at least three months on the day you depart from the EU.
How much will ETIAS cost?
ETIAS will cost 7 euros (about $8) for a three-year permit that allows “third-country nationals” to enter the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Only visitors between 18 and 70 years old will need to pay the application fee, but travelers of all ages will need ETIAS authorization to enter.
How do you apply for ETIAS?
Before traveling, you must access the ETIAS online application to input passport information, name, date and place of birth, email address, phone number, and a credit or debit card to submit the payment fee.
You’ll also need to provide your destination and answer a few background and profile questions. The ETIAS website indicates the form should take about 10 minutes to complete.
Travelers will be asked to provide details of health, education and criminal convictions.
Here is what you’ll be required to fill out, according to the visa information website:
- Identifying information (including your first name, last name, last name at birth, date of birth and place of birth).
- Information regarding your citizenship.
- Address.
- Email and phone number.
- Education and work experience.
- First EU country you intend to visit.
- Background and eligibility questions about your medical condition, travel to war countries or places where you were deported or rejected, as well as criminal records.
- For minors, the legal guardian must apply for ETIAS.
- For family members of EU citizens from other countries, you must submit proof of relationship, residence card and other background information.
How long will the approval process take?
Approval for most applicants should take a matter of minutes. However, if an item is flagged in the application, a manual review will occur. The applicant can correct the improper information or appeal a denial decision. It’s recommended to apply for the ETIAS well before your travel date — especially during its initial rollout when processes are getting ironed out.
How long does ETIAS last, and will you need to apply for each Europe trip?
Once approved, your ETIAS will be valid for up to three years and can be used on multiple trips. You won’t be required to apply for a new ETIAS each time you travel to Europe unless it’s been more than three years since your last visit.
After three years have passed, you will be required to apply for a new ETIAS.
Is there a renewal process?
When your ETIAS is coming up to its expiration date, you should receive an email to the address you registered during your application.
You can apply for a new ETIAS authorization up to 120 days before the expiration of your current ETIAS.
How will your personal data be stored?
The European Commission has attempted to soften privacy fears by insisting that ETIAS is not a visa and includes a far less intrusive application process.
“There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure,” the European Commission said.
Bottom line
Fortunately, Americans and Brits planning to visit Europe don’t need to take any immediate action. Still, they should be aware that ETIAS is due to launch next year.
Be prepared to go through one more step and pay one more fee in the travel process as part of the ETIAS implementation sometime in 2025. Stay tuned to TPG for further developments related to this program.
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