ETIAS Europe’s New Visa Wavier for the US

Are you traveling to Europe and worry about the new travel authorization? The European Union announced an electronic authorization system to register and monitor the list of visa-free travelers entering Schengen.

ETIAS will go into effect in late 2022. Following the rollout, along with Americans, 62 countries’ nationals required ETIAS to enter any Schengen countries.

Applying an ETIAS is easy, and you can apply it from the comfort of your home. To apply for the ETIAS, all applicants need internet access, a valid passport from an eligible country, and cards for online payment. The online application will only take few minutes to complete.

In this blog, let’s see the ETIAS related information’s for US citizens.

Do US citizens need ETIAS?

Yes, following the implementation of the ETIAS, Americans who wish to travel to any Schengen country will require ETIAS Europe travel authorization.

Information About ETIAS Europe’s Visa Waiver:

The ETIAS Europe visa waiver is a multiple entry travel authorization system that allows holders to visit any Schengen state country for up to 90 days per entry for tourism purposes, business, transit, or medical treatment.

The European Commission is putting the ETIAS visa waiver program for Americans and all nationalities that do not need a Schengen visa to visit Europe. The ETIAS travel permit aims to fortify and protect the Schengen passport-free zone’s borders.

The new system will screen visa-exempt travelers for potential security or health risks before they even enter Europe. This new travel authorization is scheduled to go into effect at the end of 2022.

It is critical to understand that ETIAS is not a visa but rather a travel authorization or visa waiver. It is not necessary to go to an embassy to apply.

ETIAS is not a replacement for a student or work visa. Foreign nationals who wish to live, work, study, or stay in Europe for more than 90 days must apply for a new visa from their country’s diplomatic mission.

Which Schengen countries can Americans visit with the ETIAS?

There are currently 26 European destinations where ETIAS will be available beginning in 2022. This includes 22 EU member countries and four non-EU members: Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

The Schengen zone also includes San Marino, Vatican City, and Monaco, which have open or semi-open borders with other Schengen countries.

The ETIAS visa waiver will be required at the end of 2022 for all nationalities that do not need a Schengen visa to enter Europe. Eligible foreigners who want to travel to and within the Schengen Area for short periods must apply.

Many EU countries, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, have opted out of the Schengen zone and continue their entry requirements.Other recently admitted European Union members, including Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus, have yet to sign the Schengen agreement.

Citizens of all European countries that have signed the Schengen agreement can travel within the Schengen zone without a passport.All EU citizens can travel within the Schengen Area using their passport or national ID card t and are not subject to any other type of border control.

Schengen countries that come under ETIAS are listed below,

Nationals of Countries in Need of ETIAS Europe Visa Waiver:

As we said earlier, along with Americans, 62 countries’ nationals need ETIAS to enter any of the above Schengen states.

When the ETIAS system is fully operational, all foreign nationals, including Americans who don’t need a visa to travel Europe, must complete the ETIAS registration. ETIAS for Europe is a three-year multi-entry travel authorization that is valid from the date of issue.

Multiple entries mean that the ETIAS visa waiver allows you to visit any Schengen zone country during the validity period without applying for a new ETIAS before each trip to Europe.

You can find the complete list of countries requiring ETIAS,

Click2Visas ETIAS Europe Visa Waiver Process:

• To complete the ETIAS application, you will need your passport and a credit or debit card.
• Fill out the simple ETIAS online application form and then double-check your information.
• After reviewing your details, pay the ETIAS fee and submit your application.
• Our ETIAS experts check your application for errors. If any changes are required in your ETIAS application, we will contact you.
• After our team has reviewed your ETIAS application, we will submit it to the EU-LISA ETIAS system. ETIAS approval is usually granted in less than 24 hours.

Click2Visas will begin the process once ETIAS is officially launched.

ETIAS Europe Visa Wavier Fee for Americans:

All travelers from the US need to apply for ETIAS travel wavier to enter Schengen countries, and the fee is 7 EURO.

Americans under 18 and over 70 are exempt from paying the ETIAS fee.

Above mentioned travelers also need to apply for ETIAS, but they don’t have to pay the fee; they are exempted from the ETIAS fee.

US Citizens Won’t Need to Register to Travel to Europe Until 2023:

According to a European Commission spokesperson, the ETIAS will not go into effect until the end of 2022 due to delays in the expected adoption of the ETIAS Regulation and the fact that ETIAS is being developed in close collaboration with the Entry/Exit System (EES).

The EES is the electronic system that tracks visitors as they cross borders, and it is required for ETIAS to operate.

Furthermore, a six-month transition period is being built into the system, which means that Americans will not need to register with the ETIAS until the middle of 2023. During this transition period, EU member states participating in the ETIAS program will notify travelers that a valid travel authorization is required before returning to the country.

Following the transition period, there will be an additional grace period during which travelers who have already entered the country will be required to have a travel authorization. Those crossing the border for the first time since the transition ended will be allowed to enter without a permit, but border officials will inform them of the new requirements.