THE REAL ID ACT

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 The EU and EEA

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 28 countries. It operates an internal (or single) market which allows free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states.

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(EU) EUROPEAN  UNION  COUNTRIES

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

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(EEA)

EUROPEAN  ECONOMIC  COUNTRIES 

The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.

Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member but is part of the single market - this means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.

E. T. I. A. S.

EUROPEAN TRAVEL INFORMATION 

AND AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM 

Beginning in 2021, visitors from the United States, along with dozens of other nations, will be required to complete an online application for something called an ETIAS, from “European Travel Information and Authorization System.”

 It’s essentially the reciprocal of the ESTA authorization required of EU nationals visiting the US: not strictly a visa, but a Registration..

Once it is implemented, visitors from 60 countries will be eligible to apply for ETIAS online. The system will serve as a pre-screen for travelers entering from visa-waiver countries, and anyone from one of those countries will need to have a valid ETIAS authorization and passport when arriving at any EU member country’s borders.

ETIAS will not require formal interviews, 

nor any of the rigmarole involved when 

visiting a nation that requires an actual 

visa, like for example China.  

You should be able to complete the online up the submission in about 10 minutes, providing your personal details, passport information, date of birth, country of residence and answering a few questions related to criminal history and travel to conflict zones. 

Approval (or refusal) will be sent via email.

ETIAS  VISA  WAIVER  FOR  AMERICANS

Effective 2021  U.S. citizens traveling to Europe will  be required to apply for an ETIAS.  (European Travel Information and Authorization System) Visa Waiver. 

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 from 2021, all Americans traveling to a European Country in the  SCHENGEN ZONE will require an ETIAS. 

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COST  AND  VALIDITY

It will cost 7 euros, or about $7.85 

at current rates, and will apply to travelers between 18 and 70 years old. 

Once obtained, it will “allow its holder to 

stay in 26 different countries in Europe for a period of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. 

It is valid for 3 years from the date of 

issuance or until the expiry date of the passport, whichever comes first.

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ETIAS does not apply to the United Kingdom, which is not one of the countries in the Schengen Area.

The UK is weeks away from possibly leaving the European Union without a negotiated exit agreement, the so-called “no deal Brexit” that might result in serious disruptions to travel.  

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