New requirements to travel to Europe

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Gumby

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Starting in 2024, most US travelers to Europe will need to get pre-authorization from the EU to enter. See this website for ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
 
Sister sent me this a day or two ago... seems like a way to make money...


Going to Canada only required you put info into an app..


I wonder what the US is going to do... usually if something is imposed on us we impose something on them...
 
Yep, simply a money maker. I was just reading about this earlier today. I thought I had read that the US already does this for people coming into the US from foreign countries. At least the legal ones.......
 
Texas Proud said:
Sister sent me this a day or two ago... seems like a way to make money...


Going to Canada only required you put info into an app..


I wonder what the US is going to do... usually if something is imposed on us we impose something on them...
Click to expand...

My understanding is that Europeans have had to pay $21 for some time now to enter the US.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
 
I saw this yesterday. Not a big deal, you just have to know to do it. The three years that it is good for helps.
 
I'll put DH on the alert. He flies over frequently to see his family. (Unfortunately, my back will not tolerate the trip.)
 
Did not know this and I'm an American in Europe.

This reminds me of when the US in a fit of pique demanded Turks when flying to the USA pay $100 for entry. So, the Turks then did a tit-for-tat and all Americans had to pay a $100 fee to enter Turkey.

Basically they take the money from individuals and then spend it on what they, the government, wants. I see no benefits on either side of the pond outside of a shakedown. And this is tit-for-tat....

Oh, the US did drop the $100 fee and the Turks reciprocated ...
 
You must be on file before traveling to Europe-have your ETIAS number. I think it's a way to track people and make sure they are meeting Schengen rules....this also shows how much more these countries are knitting together on the back end....the EU spends a lot of money on 'unitng' platforms like this. Yes, $7 is small now. So was the 6% VAT tax in 2001 when I first came to Europe - it is now 21%.

By the way, your passport is checked upon any port of entry from outside the EU and is scanned (biometric). I've noticed even more scrutiny going in/out of Ireland...Germany also asks aot of questions...the UK treats US and EU citizens like UK citizens by using electronic customs gates. *Very* fast...when they work.
 
deserat said:
You must be on file before traveling to Europe-have your ETIAS number. I think it's a way to track people and make sure they are meeting Schengen rules....this also shows how much more these countries are knitting together on the back end....the EU spends a lot of money on 'unitng' platforms like this. Yes, $7 is small now. So was the 6% VAT tax in 2001 when I first came to Europe - it is now 21%.

By the way, your passport is checked upon any port of entry from outside the EU and is scanned (biometric). I've noticed even more scrutiny going in/out of Ireland...Germany also asks aot of questions...the UK treats US and EU citizens like UK citizens by using electronic customs gates. *Very* fast...when they work.
Click to expand...

My recent experience with EU and UK passport control was very efficient. After a flight fiasco we arrived in Edinburgh on a rebooked flight facing a 5 hour layover. I asked the customs officer at passport control if we were allowed to leave the airport since we were only transiting. She said "We have no transit area here in Edinburgh. Once you pass me you can go wherever you want. And you are traveling on a US passport so we treat you as one of us now."

Upon arrival in Frankfurt, still just transiting, the passport control was automated for the most part. You stick you passport in a scanner, look in a camera to get your retinas scanned, and then a gate opens and you are basically good to go. There were still humans on duty but they didn't even look at the picture page. They just found an available page and put their stamp and that was it. I suspect those guys will be gone by 2024.

I mean, sure 7 EUR would be better spent on a beer. But all in all, immigration in the EU is very efficient and convenient for US citizens and will continue to be.
 
deserat said:
Did not know this and I'm an American in Europe.

This reminds me of when the US in a fit of pique demanded Turks when flying to the USA pay $100 for entry. So, the Turks then did a tit-for-tat and all Americans had to pay a $100 fee to enter Turkey.

Basically they take the money from individuals and then spend it on what they, the government, wants. I see no benefits on either side of the pond outside of a shakedown. And this is tit-for-tat....

Oh, the US did drop the $100 fee and the Turks reciprocated ...
Click to expand...

This tit-for-tat has been going on for a long time. Brazil, at least in 2000, made you jump through all kinds of hoops for a simple tourist visa and the cost was pretty steep- maybe $60 or so? That was what we did to Brazilians wanting to enter the US. When DH and I went to Russia in 2003 there was a form he would have had to fill out if he were under a certain age (he was 65 so not necessary) about whether he'd fulfilled any military obligations. It was because so many young Russian men tried to leave the country to avoid military conscription that that's what we did if they wanted a US visa. Sadly, for countries such as Brazil, where they need the tourism, it can just lead tourists to decide to go elsewhere.

I'm glad I'm exempt from the $7 due to my age but it wouldn't bother me to pay it.
 
deserat said:
You must be on file before traveling to Europe-have your ETIAS number. I think it's a way to track people and make sure they are meeting Schengen rules....this also shows how much more these countries are knitting together on the back end....the EU spends a lot of money on 'uniting' platforms like this.
Click to expand...

The lane we went through in Frankfurt was restricted to EU and a few other countries but it was clear there is some biometric data sharing happening. Some of the people ahead of us took forever to get cleared (minutes). But both my partner and I got almost immediately cleared. I was slightly concerned because Clear has trouble clearing my partner's retina scans every time and TSA could not get a good scan on my fingerprints so we both have potential issues. But no problem in EU.
 
athena53 said:
This tit-for-tat has been going on for a long time. Brazil, at least in 2000, made you jump through all kinds of hoops for a simple tourist visa and the cost was pretty steep- maybe $60 or so? That was what we did to Brazilians wanting to enter the US. When DH and I went to Russia in 2003 there was a form he would have had to fill out if he were under a certain age (he was 65 so not necessary) about whether he'd fulfilled any military obligations. It was because so many young Russian men tried to leave the country to avoid military conscription that that's what we did if they wanted a US visa. Sadly, for countries such as Brazil, where they need the tourism, it can just lead tourists to decide to go elsewhere.

I'm glad I'm exempt from the $7 due to my age but it wouldn't bother me to pay it.
Click to expand...

I went to Russia on business in 2004. I had just gotten a US top secret security clearance but it had nothing to do with the business of my trip. But my business involved visiting a company owned and operated by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Suffice it to say that it created a lot of work and confusion for the facility security folks both at my company and the Russian company.

And my visa application had, I think, the same form you are referring too. Mine actually said the questionnaire was in response to recent US crackdowns on Russian citizens. I answered truthfully and had no issues but it included questions about military service or training, training or knowledge with explosives, criminal convictions, etc. My company actually provided a lawyer with contact with a Russian lawyer to help me accurately fill out the form even though it was in English.

My actual visit went well with only a few anecdotally funny episodes that i think I have posted about before. No issues with police, customs, or intelligence officials.
 
Wow, OK that will save me an extra step next year. Thanks for the update!
 
The website says mid 2025 so maybe my trip in April 25 will miss having to do it. I am taking a tour so they will keep us updated on what needs to be done.
 
We have no issue with the etias.

We have done it twice for Australia. On line. It took 5 minutes and in as many minutes later the approval landed in our inbox. Same for Argentina.

We think that it speeds our way through when entering those countries. It is essential a user pay pre security screen. I believe that before long many other countries will go this direction. Canada and the US are implementing it.

Certainly better than some of the machinations that we go through to get entry, or extend our trip past 30 days, in a number of other countries.

It really is a non issue for most travelers.
 
Is it kind of another form of ID? If they have your payment method, they've got a lot more about you than if they didn't.
 
sengsational said:
Is it kind of another form of ID? If they have your payment method, they've got a lot more about you than if they didn't.
Click to expand...

Not concerned in the least. Just by swiping our passports and with their interaction, communication, and
co-ordination with other jurisdictions they will automatically have far more data about us that than ever will from our credit card.

It is not unusual in some countries to have one's fingerprints taken electronically as you enter and leave the country. Not yet in Europe but in some countries in SE Asia and Central America. Who knows....it could become standard in Europe at some point in time.
 
Last edited:
brett said:
Not concerned in the least. Just by swiping our passports and with their interaction, communication, and
co-ordination with other jurisdictions they will automatically have far more data about us that than ever will from our credit card.

It is not unusual in some countries to have one's fingerprints taken electronically as you enter and leave the country. Not yet in Europe but in some countries in SE Asia and Central America. Who knows....it could become standard in Europe at some point in time.
Click to expand...

The USA scans most visitors’ fingerprints on entry I believe. No big deal.

https://simpleflying.com/us-airports-fingerprints-guide/

Most international travelers entering the United States must provide fingerprints at the port of entry. Among various methods of collecting biometrics, fingerprinting is the most common one. It is not only simple to implement at airports but is also an accurate identification method.
Click to expand...
 
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