If your answer to our headline question was no, you’re probably fine. Despite what major media outlets are reporting, visas aren’t required for most of our regular readers to travel in Europe. If you are from the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain and a slew of other countries, you likely have no need for concern about obtaining a visa for travel to Europe in 2024.
Which is why we were left scratching our heads when Yahoo News headlined: “Americans Will Need A Visa To Visit Europe Starting In 2024. Here’s What You Should Know.”
Well, the first thing you should know is that you will not need a visa to visit Europe starting in 2024. What you will need is a new travel authorization, which as Forbes succinctly headlined: “Europe’s New Entry Requirements Are No Big Deal.”
You’ll simply need to complete an online form, as many Europeans have had to do for years when planning their visits to the United States – and pay 7 euros.
This is a new requirement under ETIAS, an acronym for the European Travel Information and Authorization System. As of this writing, 30 European countries will require visa-exempt travelers like many of us to have an ETIAS travel authorization before entering.
The application process appears that it will be quick and easy, but authorities “strongly advise you to obtain the ETIAS travel authorization before you buy your tickets and book your hotels.“
Of course, this is impractical for many of us as we need to book our river cruises and flights well in advance. Still, information found on ETIAS’ official website tells us that “Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.”
Your travel authorization will be linked to your passport and is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you will need to get a new ETIAS travel authorization.
The new online system is not yet active. What can you do to prepare? Step one is to make sure you passport is up to date. Most nationalities will want to make sure they have at least six-month’s validity in their passports before traveling to Europe. That’s what the U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens. If you’re traveling with kids under the age of 16, be sure to check their passports too. Children’s passports are valid for five years, not 10 years as is the case for U.S. citizens aged 16 and older.
What are we doing? We’re booking our travel for 2024, including a pair of barge cruises in late April/early May and my Dream Cruise from Amsterdam in October, which brings up another misleading news item reported by major news outlets.
In the past few weeks, numerous publications reported that Amsterdam was banning cruise ships from docking in the city. “Amsterdam Is The Latest European City To Restrict Cruise Ships,” reads an August 4, 2023 news item in Minnesota’s Star Tribune. Likewise, the travel industry trade Travelpulse trumpeted: “Amsterdam Bans Cruise Ships from Docking in City.” Other major news outlets joined in to report on the ban.
The problem is Amsterdam did no such thing. What Amsterdam did, as Condé Nast Traveler correctly reported, was take a step toward banning cruises. “The vote is in, but cruises to Amsterdam are not yet out: After Amsterdam’s City Council voted in favor of banning cruise ships from the city center on July 20, the future of voyages docking in the heart of Amsterdam still remains unclear.”
Indeed, the council’s vote to approve the ban was only a recommendation for action. “There is no immediate closing of the terminal,” Dick de Graaff, director of the Amsterdam cruise port, told the Associated Press following the July 20 vote. “The council’s call is to relocate the terminal – and we await a follow up from the alderman on investigations.”
We also await insight as to whether Amsterdam’s city council is targeting only large ocean-going vessels or all ships, including river cruises. What we do know is that Cruise Port Amsterdam has ships scheduled to dock in the city well into 2026.
This article was originally published at River Cruise Advisor.
An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com and www.rivercruiseadvisor.com.