If you are planning for a trip to Europe be it for a vacation or for business proposals, there are changes in the authorization with the introduction of ETIAS that are underway which might affect your plans.
According to CNN, the citizens of the United States who are willing to visit parts of Europe will now require authorization from the European Union. This requirement of authorization will come into play from 2021.
Announcements made by European Union about ETIAS
According to the announcements made by the European Union, it is creating a European Travel Information and Authorization System. This will also be known as ETIAS.
As per ETIAS, the citizens of the United States will now require a pre traveling screening. This is for security as well as migration risks that the Union is prone to because of the benefits from visa-free access to the Schengen area.
European Union: The Schengen Area
The Schengen area comprises of a zone of 26 countries of European Union. These do not have any internal borders and therefore allow people to travel across borders freely.
This is inclusive of countries like Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy along with France and Poland.
As per the current scenario, the citizens of the United States can travel to Europe for up to ninety days without requirement of travel authorization. With the implementation of ETIAS, this scenario will change for US citizens.
ETIAS : How to apply for the authorization and other details
A payment of 7 euros which accounts for $8 will be required to be paid post online application for authorization. This authorization by the European Union will be valid for three years.
According to the statement released by the European Union, the completion of the online application will not take more than 10 minutes.
So all you travelers who had plans of backpacking these countries in 2021 or later, you will require an authorization to do so. Despite the change in the laws, the process of submitting the online application is not a tedious task. It is thus is not bound to add much hassle to your travel plans.
