Visa Waivers For Travel to Europe
The ETIAS Visa Waiver for Americans is an effective multiple-entry travel visa valid for a minimum of three years from the time of application. During the three-year validity of this ETIAS for U.S. citizens, you can enter any of the twenty-five Schengen countries that apply to your travel authorisation as often as you like. If you need additional information about the benefits associated with the E Visa, please click on the links. To find out more about the E Visa and to apply for one, please visit the United States Department of State’s website.
The purpose of an E Visa is to provide non-immigrant entry requirements for people from areas of US consular jurisdiction. The applicant must meet the basic reciprocity requirements for an American applicant. However, there are some additional requirements associated with travel to Europe for American citizens. These include:
In order to receive an E Visa, applicants must be United States citizens who can provide proof of sufficient income and appropriate travel arrangements. They also must have all of the applicable foreign currency requirements and be in possession of all required travel documents. The ETIAS website contains detailed descriptions of all of the current foreign country entry requirements. The latest information regarding expiration dates, procedures and currency exchanges can be found on the State Department website.
Certain E Visas are also available to travelers from certain countries around the world. The number of countries that can be approved for an E Visa is restricted by the Department of State. The list of countries that are regularly approved for E Visas is updated frequently. Therefore, if you plan to travel to Europe, you should check with the State Department for the most recent information regarding country-specific travel requirements. You may want to contact the Embassy in your home country for general information on the same.
British citizens travelling to European countries that require an application for a Europe visa waiver may be required to maintain a specified amount of money in the form of a prescribed bank account. If a British citizen travels to a European country that requires an application for a Europe visa waiver, they must ensure that they have an open and active bank account in the designated currency. A person who possesses an account that is inactive for 90 days or more will not be eligible for an approval waiver. If an individual fails to fulfill the conditions pertaining to a bank account, they will not be permitted to leave the country until the outstanding balance is satisfied.
In addition to being required to maintain a specified amount of money in the form of a bank account, Canadian citizens travelling to certain European countries that require an application for a visa waiver must also have their passport in the currency of that country. Unless the passport that the individual possesses is electronically linked to their home country, they will need to apply for a visa in order to stay in that country. Electronic linking of a passport to a foreign country’s passport can take several weeks. Once an individual has obtained their visa, they should be able to apply for a visa waiver at any financial institution in their home country and at the same time apply for an electronic visa link from the visa office in the destination country.
The third category of visa waiver that applies to all United States citizens travelling to European countries that require an application for a visa waiver is that of persons with a disability. This group includes both civil and disabled workers who are permanently present in the United States but who are unable to obtain an immigrant visa due to their disability. The number of workers included in this group that require a waiver is relatively small, approximately 15% of the total number of immigrants who are granted a visa. Each year, approximately half a million new applications are received by the immigration authorities that are responsible for reviewing these requests.
An important note on visa waivers for citizens of the United States: when an individual travels outside of their home state, for example if they are going to be spending a significant amount of time in a different country, they must apply for visa paperwork even though they are not actually required to apply for a visa for that particular country. Visa application requirements change frequently based on a wide variety of factors. For example, many international airports require that foreign travellers have applied for visa paperwork before they will be permitted to board an airplane. If you are required to apply for a visa before leaving for any travel outside of your state, the airline or port of destination that you are departing from may require you to apply for visa paperwork in addition to your boarding passes. Many US consulates are unable to provide any assistance or information regarding visa requirements if you are required to apply for a visa. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you are aware of visa requirements if you are travelling outside of your state.