US citizens will need to register to visit parts of Europe starting in 2021

#ETIAS , #Schengen , #EuropeanUnion , #ESTA

US citizens visiting parts of Europe will need authorization from the European Union come 2021.

The Schengen Area is a zone of 26 European countries that do not have internal borders and allow people to move between them freely, including countries such as Spain, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

Currently, US citizens can travel to Europe for up to 90 days without any sort of travel authorization. ETIAS will change that.

Visa-free travelers, including US citizens, will need to request ETIAS authorization before visiting the Schengen Area. They can complete an application and pay a service fee of 7 euros (about $8) online. The authorization is valid for three years.

The United States has a similar system called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA.

"We are aware of the European Union's plan to implement its own travel information and authorization system, similar to the U.S. ESTA, to contribute to a more efficient management of the EU's external borders and improve internal security," a US State Department official said in a statement. "Each country has the right to determine its standards for entry."
The official added that the "ETIAS authorization is not a visa."

The United States won't be the only country affected by the changes. From 2021, citizens from 60 countries will be required to apply for the ETIAS before entering the Schengen Area. Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel, and Mauritius are among those countries.
The European Parliament agreed to establish ETIAS in July. At the time, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner for migration, home affairs, and citizenship, indicated that the requirement was put in place for security reasons.

By Lauren M. Johnson and Madeline Holcombe, CNN • March 9, 2019