By the time you all get an opportunity to read this article, Christmas will have passed and so will New Year’s Eve events….the new year has begun. The 2024 was a fast year wasn’t it? Seemed to me anyway. I was finally able to do some traveling myself. Also, it was a banner year for my agency and my great agents both here in Nevada as well as California. Now, to kick off this new year, I want to remind everyone of what big changes are happening. For those traveling abroad, and to specifically Europe and or the UK, be prepared… there are necessary documents you must be prepared to provide when entering certain countries. This will be a short article this month, but an important one.
As my regular readers already know, and for those ‘not in the know’, beginning this summer (Mid-year) not date specific yet. ALL U.S. citizens will be required to have applied online for an ETIAS, an electronic document. A quick description: The ETIAS is short for European Travel Information and Authorization System, a permit that allows visa-exempt travelers to visit the Schengen Area of Europe. They will be valid for a 3- year period or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You must apply online at https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. Right now the cost is set around $7.40 U.S. depends on exchange rates) and will take only 4 days to get approval, sometimes a lot faster. You’ll need to share the following information*:
*Criminal history, past incarceration, Felon status, past European travel, Drug use and Health history.
Seniors are free of cost BUT YOU STILL MUST APPLY AND HAVE IN HAND, free or not. The ETIAS is necessary when you wish to visit any of the 30 countries participating in the program. The good thing is that IF you are planning on visiting more than one in a single visit, you only have to complete the form once. You must be accurate in completing the forms, a caution, if you make a mistake regarding a name change OR passport number change, or wrong nationality, the correction can take up to 30 days.
The ETIAS program was proposed back in 2016 evidently and was intended to be launched in 2022 (you know what happened back then!). Because of COVID-19 it was delayed until 2024, and indications are mid-2025 last notification. A couple of things to know about the program….I’ll list here. Since I first wrote about this, things have changed or modified, and to be honest, check the website I mentioned earlier for any updates for sure to learn the official date for the launch.
#1. The ETIAS is actually NOT A VISA, though we talk about it as being an online visa but it isn’t a visa per se. It is referred to as a visa-waiver, much like the ESTA the U.S. requires for those who wish to the U.S. from some countries. The ETIAS does not require a visit to a consulate but they do not guarantee entry into a country. All border security authorities will still verify that each traveler meets the country’s entry requirements. The ETIAS is good for a short-term stay. Specifically, 90 days during any 160-day period. Also, you cannot work in the country. What is good to know, your approval is not required if you are connecting to other flights if you remain in the transit area of European airports. (unlike the UK ETA).
#2 Once approved, the ETIAS is good for up to 3- years OR until your passport is to expire, whichever comes first. You can re-apply when your expiration date is nearing but ADVICE: Don’t let the ETIAS expire, give yourself plenty of time. You will use the same process, online application that you used before.
#3. To apply you will need a Valid Passport, a Payment card and an email address, home address, occupation, education, the 1st country you plan to stay in and much more. All of the requirements for U.S. visiting the European countries as the U.S.. requires of other countries coming here, so this is a EU reciprocity by the European countries.
#4. WARNING: BE SURE TO ONLY USE THE OFFICIAL ETIAS WEBSITE. There are other unofficial sites out there, over 50, so be cautious. It may be possible, once the program kicks-off, that travel advisor/agents and tour companies will be allowed to apply on behalf of their travels, when that happens, you can most probably expect a fee for doing so.
And finally, #5, and kinda VERY IMPORTANT, the ETIAS system WILL NOT work for travel to the United Kingdom. They will have a separate ETA system. There are many more countries that will require ETIAS if you plan on visiting one of them from 2025 on: Here is the list of countries requiring U.S. citizens to apply and be approved for the ETIAS:
Schengen Area Countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Non-Schengen Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania.
Now, Important note: UNFORTUNATELY, the ETA for the United Kingdom is launching Jan. 8th, 2025 for the U.S. YIKES!!!! Though the process will be similar, it will cost about 10 pounds, valid for only 2 years (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first), but it will not be FREE for seniors. And, the bummer is that the UK ETA is required even if you are passing through airport in the UK, whether for family visits, business meetings, tourism, conferences or short-term study for 6 months or less. Seriously, it could take presently up to 3 weeks to process, but once ability to apply online, should be much the same as the ETIAS. The UK ETA will require you download the app in Google Play or Apple App Store, GOV.UK. You’ll need a valid photo and much of the same questions etc. as the ETIAS.
*This ETA is required for visiting the following countries; England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Hopefully this information should be extremely helpful if you are not traveling to the UK until at least a month, IF sooner than that, check with the contact info from the application sight you will be downloading.
There is a lot to talk about this year for what is happening in changes in air-travel, cruising, touring and riverboats and so much more. I look forward to sharing info with you all this year. Keep in touch. I have appreciated the notes, emails and the like that I receive either giving info to me, sharing experiences or requesting help or giving me ideas for future articles. Here’s to a new year of travel. My contact info can be found in the display ad ajoining this page. I am making every effort to be more concise. I look forward to hearing from my readers. Take care, and
