Americans traveling to Europe will need to fill out an application and pay a fee starting in 2024
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- Americans traveling to Europe next year will need to receive ETIAS authorization and pay an $8 fee.
- Most applications will be approved within minutes — but the process could take up to 30 days.
- Officials recommend you apply before booking your hotel and airfare. Here's what else to know.
If traveling to Europe is on your bucket list for next year, you better make a checklist too.
Starting in 2024, travelers from 60 visa-exempt countries, including the United States, will have to follow new rules for traveling to the European Union, according to the EU's official travel website. That means Americans will need to complete a short online application and pay a €7 fee (just under $8) in order to enter the 30 countries in the region.
Known as "ETIAS," the special travel authorization essentially serves as a background check, allowing the European Union to pre-screen travelers for security, health and migration risks and share that information between countries, according to a press release.
"When COVID-19 travel restrictions are not in place, at least 30 million people travel to the EU without a visa every year and, currently, we know little about them," Jeroen Lenaers, a European parliament member from the Netherlands, said in 2021. "By checking EU, Europol, and Interpol databases, we can identify individuals that pose security, irregular migration, or high epidemic risks, and prevent them from traveling to the European Union."
How to apply for ETIAS authorization
Right now, the ETIAS application portal isn't open. But once the program launches, US travelers with a valid passport can apply online or via a mobile app. The application should only take 10 minutes, per a press release.
The application will ask for your travel plans, personal information, travel document details, your level of education and current occupation, any past criminal convictions, and any past travels to war or conflict zones, according to the EU's travel website.
Most applications are approved "within minutes," the website says, but that doesn't mean you should leave it until the last minute: travelers are advised to apply for ETIAS before purchasing accommodations or airfare. That's because the approval process can take up to 30 days if you're asked to submit additional documentation or called in for an interview.
Once approved, the ETIAS authorization is valid for up to three years or until your passport expires. Every time you get a new passport, you'll need to re-apply.
An ETIAS application might be refused if you miss submission deadlines or an interview, if "there are reasonable doubts about the reliability and veracity of the data, statements or documents provided by the applicant," or if you're considered to "pose a security, illegal immigration or high epidemic risk," the website says.
If you're rejected, you'll receive an email explaining why and will have the option to appeal. However, the European Commission estimates that over 95% of applicants should receive automatic approval.
Countries that require the application: 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.