Starting in May of 2023, residents of the US and 57 other countries (See table below) traveling to Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, and Monaco will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) to be allowed entry. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania are currently in the process of joining this list and anyone traveling to these countries will be required to register with ETIAS as well when it becomes official. If you’re not a resident of one of the 58 countries needing to register with ETIAS, you will have to apply for a Schengen Visa in order to visit the Schengen countries.
Previously, these residents didn’t need to register for anything and could stay for up to 90 days in any 180 day period in Europe without needing to register for a visa and obtaining documentation. Sadly, this is no longer the case. On the plus side, this will improve security throughout Europe and help prevent terrorism within the Schengen Zone. The down side is that it’s one more fee you need to pay for.
After World War 2, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and the Netherlands signed the Schengen Agreement to dissolve internal border checks between these countries and to strengthen border protection between Schengen countries and non-Schengen countries. Over time, the Schengen Zone has expanded to 26 countries.
What You Will Need To Do
- If you’re visiting one of the countries listed above, or even traveling through one of these countries to get to your destination of a Non-Schengen country, you will need to register with ETIAS. If you are not registered, you will not be allowed to connect to your final destination.
- You need a valid passport (minimum validity of 3 months from date of arrival) and an email address to register with ETIAS.
- If you’re between the ages of 18 and 70, registering costs 7 euros (~ $7). If you’re outside those age ranges, registering is free!
- Registering will take between 10-20 minutes.
- Debit and credit cards are accepted.
- Usually within 4 days you’ll be approved, unless you’re flagged as a possible security threat. Then it may take weeks.
- After you are approved, your ETIAS is valid for 3 years, or until your passport expires, which comes first.
- Print your travel authorization that you will receive via email and take it with you.
- Click this link to sign up to be notified when the ETIAS registration process is available.
Countries Needing to Register with ETIAS in 2023
| Albania | Micronesia |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Moldova |
| Argentina | Montenegro |
| Australia | New Zealand |
| Bahamas | Nicaragua |
| Barbados | Palau |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Panama |
| Brazil | Paraguay |
| Brunei | Peru |
| Canada | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Chile | Saint Lucia |
| Colombia | Saint Vincent |
| Costa Rica | Samoa |
| Dominica | Serbia |
| El Salvador | Seychelles |
| Georgia | Singapore |
| Granada | Solomon Islands |
| Guatemala | South Korea |
| Honduras | Taiwan |
| Hong Kong | Timor Leste |
| Israel | Tonga |
| Japan | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Kiribati | Tuvalu |
| Macao | Ukraine |
| Macedonia | United Arab Emirates |
| Malaysia | United Kingdom |
| Marshall Islands | United States |
| Mauritius | Uruguay |
| Mexico | Venezuela |
