Say goodbye to the beloved passport stamp.
A trip to Europe now requires a bit more travel planning in 2026, and therefore the passport stamp has made way way for digital biometric checks. But let's back up a bit to see the current travel landscape and what going to Europe will entail going forward.
Currently, U.S. passport holders traveling or transiting in certain countries in Europe need a type of pre-clearance that's known as an electronic travel authorization. This includes the United Kingdom, including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and British Overseas Territories, which need the UK Travel ETA unless a visa holder, citizen, or resident of the U.K. or the Republic of Ireland.
As for continental Europe, passport holders from the United States can visit the Schengen Area — covering much of said continent — without a visa for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, some new requirements are trickling out through the end of 2026, according to the European Union's latest revised timeline.
As of press time, the EU's travel authorization is projected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026, following the successful rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES). Now underway, the EES records biometric data of non-EU citizens crossing external borders; long lines are expected to persist during early implementation. Paris-Charles de Gaulle (DG) Airport and others have experienced hourslong EES border delays. Travelers should allot plenty of time, especially at larger airports.
1. What's a travel authorization? Do I need to apply for ETIAS or UK Travel ETA? Both?
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), adopted by the European Parliament, will require most non-European travelers to complete an online application before entry — even for most connecting international flights by late 2026. Applicable to citizens from over 60 visa-exempt countries, ETIAS screens visitors and supports assessments, including high epidemic risks posed, but is not a new passport or visa. Once implemented, Americans and other visa-exempt visitors traveling to European countries must complete an online form, have a passport that is valid for more than three months but not older than ten years, have an email address and pay a fee — around 20 euros or slightly more than $23. If it seems like a lot of steps, then consider this breakdown:
- Have or renew a passport. Most new passport holders have an electronic passport, which may contain a chip storing personal details and biometric data, like fingerprints or iris scans.
- Understand that ETIAS is a digital travel authorization linked to your passport. It confirms compliance during scans and isn’t physical like a stamp or sticker.
- Apply for ETIAS online or have a trusted travel agent handle the process.
- Keep up to day on the latest international travel tips and procedures, as they can change.
Europe's ETIAS should not be confused with the UK Travel ETA, a travel authorization system for the United Kingdom, which allows people to travel and transit through the UK. Such travel documents are becoming more common, with Australia even having its own Electronic Travel Authority.
Note: Both an ETIAS and ETA will be required if American citizens are touching down in 30 European countries and the United Kingdom.
The official ETIAS website estimates that some 1.4 billion individuals from more than 60 nations who do not require a visa will need this authorization system to guarantee entry to most European countries, e.g. Cyprus and the Schengen Area. (The Schengen Area includes European nations that have eliminated passports and other border controls at their shared borders.). Teaming up with a travel agent is a smart move to stay current with the latest procedures or changes. In the meantime, here are some answers to a few questions about the UK ETA and ETIAS, including special cases like traveling with kids or seeing Europe after a student visa expires.
2. Do you need an ETA, ETIAS and/or both? What about Ireland?
The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is required to enter or transit through all parts of the United Kingdom — except transiting airside without going through border control, according to a January update by the government. An ETA allows everything from sightseeing in the country to traveling the underground Channel Tunnel (popularly known as the Chunnel) or taking a connecting flight requiring customs and border control. That mainly affects Heathrow and Manchester, which feature transit facilities.
Applying for an ETA can take up to three days or more and can cost £20 (about $27). An ETA is good for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. During that time, you can visit the UK multiple times during that period. A UK ETA is required for entry into Northern Ireland, as it is part of the United Kingdom due to historical and political agreements from the early 20th century. However, neither a UK ETA nor an ETIAS is needed to enter the Republic of Ireland. That country is not part of the U.K. or the Schengen Area, so an ETIAS application for short visits to Ireland won't be required.
While entry from the vast majority of non-EU nations will require an ETIAS inside the Schengen member states and Cyprus, travel for citizens between member states in the European Union is freely permitted. Citizens of the EU do require a UK ETA to visit places in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland and United Kingdom Overseas Territories.
Following the implementation of the ETIA, citizens of the UK will require an ETIAS to enter the EU (unless they have residence rights under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, aka Brexit). For Americans, an ETIAS and an ETA both will be needed, even if they are only being used for connecting flights, while traveling to the United Kingdom and most Schengen Area destinations (except the Republic of Ireland).
3. Who needs an ETIAS application?
Citizens from non-EU, visa-exempt countries like the U.S., Japan and Commonwealth realms such as Canada and Australia, encompassing everyone from tourists visiting to people traveling for medical reasons and crew members and businesspeople working, must apply for ETIAS for short-term visits to Europe's Schengen Area and Cyprus. As of press time, this travel authorization permits non-visa holders to enter at least 30 European countries requiring ETIAS.
Member nations include the following countries — Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia (Czech Republic), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. (Vatican City by default will require ETIAS since one must travel through Italy first.)
4. Do dual citizens need ETIAS?
Travelers should always bring a passport electronically linked to their ETIAS when entering Europe, i.e., the ETIAS authorization will already be digitally associated with the passport used during the application process. For dual citizens, entry requirements will vary by passport. An ETIAS isn't needed if a passport from an EU country is held.
5. How much is an ETIAS application fee?
According to the European Commission, fees may increase over time to cover operational costs. However, most applicants ages 18 to 70 should budget €20 — or slightly more than $23 per individual — payable by debit or credit cards authorized for international transactions. Those under age 18 or older than 70 require ETIAS but are considered exempt from fees, as are family members of EU citizens or non-EU nationals who already have the freedom to travel within the EU.
All ETIAS fees are nonrefundable regardless of application success.
6. How long is ETIAS valid, and what's the application process like?
Travelers from countries not requiring a visa, such as American citizens, should get ETIAS at least three days before departing for their trip. Although most applications are approved within a day, ETIAS delays or requests for more travel documents are possible. After one's travel authorization is processed, multiple entries are allowed within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180 days. ETIAS remains valid for three years or up until a passport expires, whichever comes first.
An ETIAS application will take about 20 minutes and requires personal information, including contact information, intended first entry, education, profession, passport and/or residence permit, and other eligibility details. ETIAS applications can be submitted through the ETIAS mobile app — available in app stores — or at the official website managed by Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs. Though dozens of unofficial websites offer information on what's needed for the new European travel authorization, caution is advised due to potential scams.
7. What about ETIAS for kids?
For individuals under age 18, a valid passport with the proper ETIAS approval will be required, but an application by itself may not always be enough in some European countries. Children traveling alone or with someone other than an assigned guardian may require additional materials, such as a consent to travel letter signed by a parent or legal guardian; it often can be notarized in places such as a AAA office in the United States. A letter of consent attesting to both parents' approval of the child's travel arrangements may also be necessary in some situations, such as when parents are divorced or separated.
8. Do students need ETIAS? How can American students studying abroad travel afterward?
In Europe, students attending short programs or conferences in Europe from visa-free countries would not need a Student Schengen visa or other visa in that specific case but would need an ETIAS travel authorization. For programs longer than 90 days in which a visa would be needed, students from non-visa countries can extend their stay in ETIAS-required nations for up to 90 days, according to the European Union's tips for students. For example, American students would have to ensure they are registered in the EES and their ETIAS would be valid when their student visa expires.
9. When should someone request an ETIAS with limited validity, and what does it allow them to do?
If an individual anticipates their ETIAS application to be denied (or it's previously been denied, revoked or annulled) — yet they have important obligations or humanitarian reasons, such as medical procedures, a family illness or a court appearance — they may avoid being denied entry by applying for an ETIAS travel authorization with limited validity instead. This authorization permits travel to specific European countries for up to 90 days. To apply, they must submit a standard ETIAS application, specify the purpose of limited validity and travel destinations, and include any additional information requested.