Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Travel Safety/Security > Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate
Reload this Page >

Updated: EU To Require Electronic Travel Authorization [ETIAS] for non-EU citizens

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Updated: EU To Require Electronic Travel Authorization [ETIAS] for non-EU citizens

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 7, 2016, 8:09 am
  #1  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Updated: EU To Require Electronic Travel Authorization [ETIAS] for non-EU citizens

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu...-idUSKCN0X4183

Originally Posted by Reuters
EU may require visas from Americans and Canadians: EU source

The European Union executive is considering whether to make U.S. and Canadian citizens apply for visas before traveling to the bloc, a move that could raise tensions as Brussels negotiates a trade pact with Washington.

..... the European Commission must decide by April 12 whether to demand visas from countries who have similar requirements in place for one or more EU state.

Washington and Ottawa both demand entry visas from Romanians and Bulgarians, whose states joined the EU in 2007. The United States also excludes Croatians, Cypriots and Poles from a visa waiver scheme offered to other EU citizens.
This is due to the EU trying to have a position of solidarity with other EU states on these matters. Personally, I'd be surprised if the Schengen countries go for anything more than a US-style ESTA type scheme (which is really an electronic visa scheme of sorts) any time soon; and even that would take some time to implement.

I wouldn't welcome this expanded requirement to get visas to travel.

http://time.com/4284875/eu-visa-united-states-canada/

Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 7, 2016 at 8:25 am
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2016, 9:30 am
  #2  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
Let's not forget that there was a period in the 1980s-1990s when France required visas of all USA citizens. The requirement was dropped before my IIRC three-year visa expired.
MSPeconomist is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2016, 11:24 am
  #3  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Let's not forget that there was a period in the 1980s-1990s when France required visas of all USA citizens. The requirement was dropped before my IIRC three-year visa expired.
I never had a visa for France in any of my US passports that was valid during the 1990s. And I did visit France in the 1990s, or at least each year from 1991-2000.
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2016, 11:31 am
  #4  
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,634
Originally Posted by GUWonder
I never had a visa for France in any of my US passports that was valid during the 1990s. And I did visit France in the 1990s, or at least each year from 1991-2000.
US passport holders needed French visas in the late 80's. I had one that was issued in February 1988.
TWA884 is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2016, 2:18 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London (UK), Rome (Italy)
Programs: BA, Hilton, Lufthansa, Skywards, Sofitel, IHG
Posts: 94
Time for EU and US (or even North America) cooperation. But unlikely to happen. I now have ESTAs ETAs and IMMIs, what next?
ElleBeeTee is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2016, 5:34 am
  #6  
:D!
Hilton Contributor BadgeIHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
I would like to say "serves them right" but these restrictions only hurt ordinary people, not the responsible governments.
:D! is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2016, 6:40 am
  #7  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by :D!
I would like to say "serves them right" but these restrictions only hurt ordinary people, not the responsible governments.
I don't see such new EU/Schengen country visa restrictions doing me much of any good.

And my opinion about this is the same as my opinion about my country having a quasi-visa thing via ESTA requirements.

More restrictive visa regimes indeed do further complicate travel for ordinary visitors more than for anybody else.
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2016, 4:16 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: 1 thousand
Posts: 2,112
Originally Posted by :D!
I would like to say "serves them right" but these restrictions only hurt ordinary people, not the responsible governments.
But those affected are also those who are responsible for voting in their legislative assembly. That's actually pretty much how these things are supposed to work: if a country reneges on its agreements, its citizens will feel the effects, and they're the ones ultimately responsible for fixing the situation. I don't see any better alternatives.

Note: this issue isn't just about new EU states, but also citizens of existing states being arbitrarily excluded due to new laws that congress introduced in 2015.

// Edit: this is the official EU letter regarding the December 2015 US legislation: http://www.niacaction.org/eu-respond...r-reciprocity/

Last edited by televisor; Apr 8, 2016 at 4:23 pm
televisor is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 12:20 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: Skymiles, HH
Posts: 27
Originally Posted by TWA884
US passport holders needed French visas in the late 80's. I had one that was issued in February 1988.
Sane here. I had to get a French Visa in 1987 when I went to Paris sightseeing. To get it a Visa you had to fill out a form, drop off your Passport and form at the French Embassy, then wait for them to call you to retrieve your passport. There was a full page Visa, with your travel dates in a random page in your Passport.
Usual Suspect is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 3:01 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: mostly not far from AMS, otherwise NUE
Programs: FB Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,381
The EU requiring visas from US citizens is long overdue, the reciprocity that visa agreements are normally based on was removed when the U.S. introduced ESTA, which constitutes a visa for all intents and purposes.
mfkne is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 8:35 am
  #11  
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,634
Originally Posted by mfkne
The EU requiring visas from US citizens is long overdue, the reciprocity that visa agreements are normally based on was removed when the U.S. introduced ESTA, which constitutes a visa for all intents and purposes.
American tourists are too much of a cash cow for many western European economies for that to happen as this will negatively affect the number of Americans traveling to Europe.

In addition, this tit-for-tat is plain stupid; the percetage of US citizens illegally overstaying the Schengen stay limits is miniscule compared to the percentage of Eastern Europeans, i.e., Romanians and Bulgarians, who remain in the US illegally past the expiration of their authorized entry permits.
TWA884 is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 9:23 am
  #12  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by TWA884
American tourists are too much of a cash cow for many western European economies for that to happen as this will negatively affect the number of Americans traveling to Europe.

In addition, this tit-for-tat is plain stupid; the percetage of US citizens illegally overstaying the Schengen stay limits is miniscule compared to the percentage of Eastern Europeans, i.e., Romanians and Bulgarians, who remain in the US illegally past the expiration of their authorized entry permits.
I think that a Schengen evisa regime akin to the US ESTA/evisa regime wouldn't really kill the American cash cow providing milk to the Schengen tourism sector.
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 10:16 am
  #13  
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,634
Originally Posted by GUWonder
I think that a Schengen evisa regime akin to the US ESTA/evisa regime wouldn't really kill the American cash cow providing milk to the Schengen tourism sector.
I tend to agree with your assessment, however, I was responding to an assertion that "[t]he EU requiring visas from US citizens is long overdue."

There is a big difference between obtaining an electronic entry permit and applying for a traditional visa.
TWA884 is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 12:31 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: mostly not far from AMS, otherwise NUE
Programs: FB Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,381
What is a visa but a permit to apply for entry? Apart from the way you apply for it and the paperwork required there's not much difference between "a proper" visa and ESTA, as evidenced by the fact you even have to pay for it.
mfkne is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2016, 2:43 pm
  #15  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by TWA884
I tend to agree with your assessment, however, I was responding to an assertion that "[t]he EU requiring visas from US citizens is long overdue."

There is a big difference between obtaining an electronic entry permit and applying for a traditional visa.
I consider the electronic entry permit to be but an electronic version of a traditional visa, with the primary difference being that the physical passport generally doesn't get into to the hands of the visa-issuing government's personnel until arrival in the visa-issuing country.
GUWonder is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.