Q – (9.4.24) – Our trip for ten days will take in some fine dining in Brussels and some boating through the center of Bruge in Belgium. But I read that there is this new kind of Passport called ETIAS that is now required for all Europe-bound Americans. Can you let us know the latest on these requirements?
A – This is not a big deal – it is a little deal designed to enable European nations to use the internet to bring in some additional revenue for each arriving tourist. It was initially supposed to kick in in 2024 but some disagreements within the European Union postponed its introduction. It appears it will be ready to roll out in 2025 but nothing is certain as of today. This is what we know at this stage:
Americans will need to apply for a form of travel authorization before being permitted to enter 30 European nations. The authorization can be obtained online and should just take a few minutes. This of this as a toy passport. The cost will likely be 7 Euros but as a special offer for Traveltruth visitors, every European country has reached out to us and agreed to waive the fee for those under 18 and over 70 years of age. In some cases, the application can take up to four days but that will not be typical. If you want to get the latest details go to travel-europe.europa.eu/etias
Here is the current list of countries that will require ETIAS Registration:
