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News > World

US Nationals Traveling to Europe Will Require Permit in 2021

  • EU flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

    EU flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. | Photo: Reuters file

Published 9 March 2019
Opinion

U.S. nationals will need to register through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) for any trips to the Schengen Area, a zone of European nations that allow border-free travel among themselves. 

Starting on January 1, 2021, travelers from the United States who are headed to 26 European countries will be required to register and be approved for a travel permit beforehand.

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U.S. nationals will need to register through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) for any trips to the Schengen Area, a zone of European nations that allow border-free travel among themselves. Currently, U.S. citizens are allowed up to 90 days of travel in the zone.

The Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, 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.

The new permit, however, will not be required for travel to the United Kingdom.

The European Commission (EC) greenlighted ETIAS in 2016, which was followed by European Parliament approval in 2018. Unlike a visa, the permit only requires registration and fee payment and does not include an interview. The permit will last for three years and allows for unlimited entry.

The EC states the objective of the system is "to identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors traveling to the Schengen area, whilst at the same time facilitate crossing borders for the vast majority of travelers who do not pose such risks."

Migratory measures like ETIAS are the EU's response to recent instances of terrorism that have threatened the region's security. 

Some analysts, on the other hand, are noting that increasing tensions between the Trump administration and European officials may also have played a role in the system's implementation.

While the EC once considered implementing a visa for U.S. nationals to travel to the area, the group decided against the decision as long as the United States does the same for Europeans traveling to the North American country.

The new system is similar to the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ETSA) system, which is required for nations of the European Union, excluding Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.

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