HAPPY NEW YEAR: NEW TRAVEL CHANGES

     Being an avid believer in being prepared when thinking about my travel, I am sharing two new pieces of the travel puzzle demanded for 2025. The pieces are new border requirements for the UK and the EU. The UK’s new border requirement is called ETA. That stands for Electronic Travel Authorization. If you are thinking about traveling to the continent of Europe in the future, the European Union, and several other non-EU countries, you need the European Travel Information and Authorization System or ETIAS. The intention of both is to assist travelers and to make the trip a bit more secure.

    ETA and ETIAS are online pre-screening systems for travelers who do not need a full visa to visit the UK or Europe. Presently, if you are from the United States, Canada, or Australia, you may visit the UK and most European countries without a visa for up to 90 days. ETA allows for 180-day visits and ETIAS for 90-day periods. The timeline for application of these new authorizations is before you leave for your vacations abroad. These are necessary travel documents required prior to you boarding your flight or ship. Consider them an extra blanket of border security to assist customs as to who is entering the countries. The goal of both ETA and ETIAS is protection for travelers and locals alike.

     The online process for applying for ETA is easy. It should not take more than ten to fifteen minutes to apply for it. Have your passport ready to input the information and your credit card. The site is www.gov.uk. Approval is usually within three business days. Occasionally, it may take longer. The ETA will cost thirteen dollars and is valid for two years or until the passport holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first.

     The official site for ETIAS is  www.travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. The site is full of information; however, it is not operational yet. There is an official mobile ETIAS app. The instructions are straight forward: Fill out the sections with the required information including passport information. There is a small fee that has not been set yet. Approval is granted within minutes of hitting the send button. When the site is fully operational, a bit of patience is required as traffic to the site may cause delays. Once approved, your ETIAS is valid for up to three years, allowing you to enter and exit any participating European country as many times as you like during that three-year period.

      ETA and ETIAS apply to people visiting for tourism, business, and short-term medical reasons. If you plan to study or work in the UK or Europe, different kinds of visas or other forms of permit may be required.

      ETA officially rolls out on January 8, 2025, and ETIAS is expected to be up and running by mid-2025. Work with your travel advisor and do not be prevented from boarding your flight or ship because you do not have approval. It could cost you more than a small fee.