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U.S. citizens are currently permitted to visit 26 countries in the European Union for up to three months for the purpose of business or tourism without any visa requirements.

Beginning July 1, 2021, the rules will change. Visiting any of these Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical or transit will require approval from the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS)—which will be considered an additional check on security rather than a visa.

The intent of this new requirement is to better address the challenges posed by terrorism and to raise revenue for the EU.

The application and approval process

• The ETIAS application process will take place online and should take less than 10 minutes to complete.
• Applicants will be asked to provide three types of information: 1) a valid passport (with an expiration date that is at least three months longer than the intended stay; 2) a credit or debit card, and 3) an email address.
• Application must take place at least 96 hours before travel.
• Applications need to be made for infants and […]