Visa required for U.S. citizens visiting Europe
- Thread starter busykngt
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No biggie. We already have to do that to visit Australia and it couldn’t be easier. It’s all done online. EU sees this as a revenue source, I suppose.
#FakeNews
An ETIAS is not a visa, in fact, it is a visa-waiver.
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 from 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 from 2021, all Americans traveling to a European country in the Schengen Zone will be in need of an ETIAS
We [U.S.] do have Visa requirements; not unlike many European countries. Historically, in recent years (since at least the 1960s/70s), most Western European countries have afforded U.S. citizens a very simplified Visa experience. It took the form of a stamp placed quickly on a back page of your U.S. passport at their passport control office (@ the point of entry). Traditionally there were no separate forms to fill out or fees to be paid. This expedited courtesy was not extended to citizens of all countries - but if you held a “U.S.” passport, you were automatically considered ‘good to go’ - their normal bureaucracy didn’t apply to Americans.
I believe the author of this article has the intention of only pointing out, this historical courtesy is about to change for countries of Western Europe including those he mentions (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden & 21 other European states). American citizens will now (as of January 2021) have to go online, fill out a forum, answer a few questions, pay a fee and retain a copy of the email response they receive. While this effort may be considered minimal and certainly the cost is negligible (about $8, U.S.), it nevertheless represents an increase in bureaucracy that heretofore wasn’t required of visiting Americans. I believe that’s the point he was trying to make in his article.
I believe the author of this article has the intention of only pointing out, this historical courtesy is about to change for countries of Western Europe including those he mentions (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden & 21 other European states). American citizens will now (as of January 2021) have to go online, fill out a forum, answer a few questions, pay a fee and retain a copy of the email response they receive. While this effort may be considered minimal and certainly the cost is negligible (about $8, U.S.), it nevertheless represents an increase in bureaucracy that heretofore wasn’t required of visiting Americans. I believe that’s the point he was trying to make in his article.
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That is called a visa waiver program. It will continue past 2021 with the change you will apply for your visa waiver before you arrive. This is mostly a result of post 9/11 security measures and costs.
It will be interesting to see how they enforce it inside the EU, since not all countries are in the Schengen zone, and I have moved freely inside the EU (like US) without being checked. Are they now going to put passport control up at all entry points? Right now it is only at airports and Chunnel.
Of course, illegals from the middle east are exempt. :-)
Most Western European countries did not require a ‘tourist visa’ (or a waiver) for visiting U.S. citizens as long as their stay didn’t exceed ninety days. I think the author’s main point is, this will no longer be the case. It’s called a visa waiver but requires stepping through some bureaucracy that wasn’t previously required.
My intention in posting this information was to inform, that unless you step through this bit of bureaucracy, pay your fee, etc. and obtain your email approval, you won’t be getting into those countries. None, of which, had previously been required to be accomplished (for U.S. citizens).
Frankly, I’ll be surprised if the fee remains that low. I suspect it will just be a matter of time before that amount is jacked up to become a serious source of revenue for them (and/or they’ll shorten the duration it’s good for).
My intention in posting this information was to inform, that unless you step through this bit of bureaucracy, pay your fee, etc. and obtain your email approval, you won’t be getting into those countries. None, of which, had previously been required to be accomplished (for U.S. citizens).
Frankly, I’ll be surprised if the fee remains that low. I suspect it will just be a matter of time before that amount is jacked up to become a serious source of revenue for them (and/or they’ll shorten the duration it’s good for).
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Doesn't bother me.
And the same goes vice versa. If you were from one of the countries on the visa waiver list and wanted to visit the US for 90 days, all you had to do was show up, have a return ticket, a good story, fill out a form on the airplane, and be done. Now this requires the extra step of filling out an online form first, and same as before, admission is still by the immigration officer's discretion.
Either way, I don't care:
And the same goes vice versa. If you were from one of the countries on the visa waiver list and wanted to visit the US for 90 days, all you had to do was show up, have a return ticket, a good story, fill out a form on the airplane, and be done. Now this requires the extra step of filling out an online form first, and same as before, admission is still by the immigration officer's discretion.
Either way, I don't care:
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Having spent quite a bit of time in Yer-up, I wouldn't go back.
Why not?
The idiot left as demonstrated by western european politics by the likes of Merkel and other leftist european politicos who've actually invited cultural and physical destruction.
We the guilty of western europe invite you, sharia law loving, radical muslims into our countries. Please destroy us....rape and pillage at will......we've thrown in the towel.
So, no, I'll never return to visit europe, but notice the Eastern Europeans haven't extended an invitation to be over run.
Those folks aren't suicidal....
Why not?
The idiot left as demonstrated by western european politics by the likes of Merkel and other leftist european politicos who've actually invited cultural and physical destruction.
We the guilty of western europe invite you, sharia law loving, radical muslims into our countries. Please destroy us....rape and pillage at will......we've thrown in the towel.
So, no, I'll never return to visit europe, but notice the Eastern Europeans haven't extended an invitation to be over run.
Those folks aren't suicidal....
Yes they did (visa waiver). You as the traveler just did not see the process. But behind the scenes your passport info was transmitted to them in advance of your arrival. It was checked against no fly and "Hooligan" lists and if you were on them you were denied entry. This was costly, and now they are going to charge for it and it is now more visible to the traveler.
It is certainly a change, and the public needs to know about it, but the writer made a shitload of errors trying to explain it.
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That’s certainly true for most of the northern countries of Eastern Europe where the Muslim population generally runs 1-2% of the population. But certainly isn’t true of the southern countries making up Eastern Europe, where their population tends to make up 20-50% of the population. Most of that is reminiscences of the Ottoman Empire (as opposed to the influx Europe is currently welcoming).
busykngt,
How welcoming are they (remnants of the Otto E.) in terms of numbers or percentages?
Enough to supplant the local population? Less/More?
I would guess even these folk are smart enough not to be overrun.
Also, would you please enumerate the welcoming countries names.
P.S. I'm not disputing, but curious and thanks.
How welcoming are they (remnants of the Otto E.) in terms of numbers or percentages?
Enough to supplant the local population? Less/More?
I would guess even these folk are smart enough not to be overrun.
Also, would you please enumerate the welcoming countries names.
P.S. I'm not disputing, but curious and thanks.
Yes you get a visa waiver that you do not see.
Passport Control in the UK. I am pretty sure it is not available to the public, least not when I was a .gov agent.
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I didn’t say the southern, Eastern European countries were currently welcoming new Muslim arrivals - in fact, I would guess they are not. But that’s not because of their religion, it would have to do more with ethnic reasons. The large percentage of the Muslim population in these countries is traceable to their history and their proximity to the Ottoman Empire.
1 Turkey 98.6
2 Kosovo 95.6
3 Albania 58.8
4 Bosnia-Herzegovina 50.7
5 Macedonia 33.3
6 Cyprus 22.7
7 Montenegro 19.11
