Get Ready! Europe’s New Visa Waiver for Americans Debuts sometime in 2021
Starting in 2021 Americans will need to file an e-visa waiver in order to visit most countries in Europe.
So there is no mistake in how I convey this, below is the exact wording from the official site:
“U.S. citizens traveling to Europe will shortly need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa waiver which is the new travel authorization for Europe that will come into effect in 2021. Similar to other countries and regions in the world, Europe has recently decided to improve its security level to avoid any further problems with illegal immigration and terrorism.
This means that, by the end of 2021, all Americans traveling to a European country in the Schengen Zone will need an ETIAS. The Schengen Area is composed of 22 European Union countries like France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and Spain, as well as 4 non-EU countries: Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. ETIAS will permit travel to all Schengen countries for short stays during its validity.”
This program will also apply to visitors to French and other European territories like Saint Barthelemy.
The people at ETIAS are still refining the program and I will update you as I learn more.