Search results for: "visa-free travellers"

The UK and the EU are rolling out new digital border systems. Here is what changes for visa-free travellers heading to Britain and the Schengen Area.

The European Union is rolling out two new border initiatives, the Entry/Exit System (EES) and ETIAS, that will change how visa-free travellers enter 30 European countries. Here is a plain-language summary of what each one does and when it applies.

The EU and its member states are reinforcing the external borders of the Schengen area through a combination of a dedicated agency and large-scale IT systems. Here is how the main pieces fit together.

ETIAS will be required no matter how you travel to Europe, including overland. Here is how authorisation checks will work for bus, train and car journeys, with examples for each.

From 12 October, the way every non-EU citizen crosses the bloc's external border begins to change as the long-delayed Entry/Exit System starts operating. Here is a clear guide to what the biometric checks involve and where they apply.

The European Commission has confirmed that the ETIAS application fee will be EUR 20, up from the EUR 7 originally planned. Here is what is behind the change and what it means for visa-free travellers.

The EU has set 12 October 2025 as the start of a phased rollout for the Entry/Exit System (EES), with full operation expected by 10 April 2026. ETIAS is due to follow in late 2026, and its fee is rising from €7 to €20.

Visitors travelling to the United States on a non-immigrant visa face a new $250 "visa integrity fee" introduced under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Visa-waiver travellers are exempt, but the separate ESTA charge is also rising.

On 18 July 2025 the European Union adopted its 18th package of sanctions against Russia after Slovakia dropped its opposition. On the same busy day in Brussels, the Commission proposed tripling the planned ETIAS travel-authorisation fee to €20.

ETIAS will not switch on all at once. Instead it begins with a transitional period and then a grace period, each lasting at least six months. Here is what the first year of ETIAS will look like in practice.