Oui, oui, let’s travel for free!
American tourists won’t have to pay Europe’s new entrance fee until 2025 as the authorization process has been delayed again.
The European Union previously announced plans to require visitors to get pre-approval via ETIAS, or the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and pay a fee of about $8.
The plan was set to begin this May but has hit several roadblocks. A recent announcement from EU officials delayed the change until 2025.
The new regulations will apply to visitors without visas from 60 countries, including the US, UK and Canada, and necessary to enter 30 European countries, including Spain, Germany, France and Greece.
Applicants will be required to provide passport information, personal info such as their place of birth and their parents’ first names, education level, current occupation, anticipated trip details and any criminal convictions.
While most applications are expected to be processed within minutes, some may take longer, spurring officials from the EU to advise visitors to apply “well in advance.”
Once the authorization is secured, it is valid for up to three years or until your passport expires. During this time, jet-setters can enter the participating European countries as often as they want for short-term stays — typically for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
However, approval from ETIAS does not guarantee entry.
The ETIAS system is modeled on the visa-waiver program known as ESTA, which has been in place for those traveling to the US since 2009.
For those looking to travel to Europe before ETIAS goes live, this year’s Global Peace Index is a great place to start considering travel options.
Compiled by the Institute of Economics and Peace, the ranking takes into account statistics like homicide, prison population, terrorism, military might and international conflicts.
Finland, Denmark, Iceland — named this year as the No. 1, 2 and 3 happiest and safest places — and Austria (No. 11) will eventually require ETIAS authorization.
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