For all the travelers INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES wondering about the authorization fee that was to be implemented in November 2023. hERE IS THE LATEST INFORMATION.

The European Commission has delayed the start of THE travel authorization fee KNOWN AS etias Electronic System for Travel Authorization to enter Europe for another year until THE START OF 2024.

NO REASON OR RESPONSE WAS GIVEN WHEN ASKED WHY THE DELAY.

“It is expected that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be operational in 2024,” the Commission wrote on its ETIAS website under the frequently asked questions section. 

When it does go into effect, the €7 fee ($7.46) will apply to foreign visitors who are 18 to 70 years old. The authorization will be required to enter all countries of the Schengen area and will be valid for three years, or until the expiration date of someone’s travel document.

Travelers will need to apply for authorization through an official website or app before their trip.

The ETIAS fee is similar to the United Kingdom’s Electronic Travel Authorisation visa waiver, which the country plans to launch later this year. That authorization will require all non-visa foreign visitors, including those from the United States, to apply online in advance of coming and is part of the UK’s effort to fully digitize its borders by 2025.

In the U.S., visitors must also apply for a similar authorization before coming: the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is available to travelers from countries granted a Visa Waiver Program. Last year, the fee for ESTA increased from $14 to $21, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In addition to the ETIAS fee, 28 European countries plan on rolling out a new Entry/Exit System (EES) next year, which would replace passport stamps with a high-tech scanning process. The EES is a digital platform that will rely on biometric data — like face and fingerprint scans — and will work in conjunction with ETIAS data.

Getting your passport stamped when traveling to Europe may become a thing of the past as a new screening system upon arrival is expected to launch next year.

Twenty-eight European countries including France, Greece, and Spain are expected to adopt the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System, (EES) that will replace the beloved passport stamping routine with a high-tech scanning process, an EU representative confirmed to Travel + Leisure this week. 

Specifically, the EES is a digital platform that relies on the collection of biometric data such as face scans and fingerprint scans. Travelers who refuse to provide biometric data needed for the screening will be denied entry into the country.

The program is still in development as countries and industry partners are “continuing their preparations” towards its projected 2024 launch, the EU representative also noted to T+L. However, the EES could roll out earlier, depending on when individual countries are prepared to participate.

Travelers can follow updates on the implementation of the ESS program here. 

“The main advantage of the EES is saving time,” the program’s website shares. “The EES replaces passport stamping and automates border control procedures, making traveling to European countries using the EES more efficient for the traveler.”

The countries that will eventually be participating in the ESS include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The EES website points out that although Cyprus and Ireland are members of the European Union, a traveler’s passport will still be stamped manually, for now. 

The program is being developed in conjunction with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (or ETIAS) program which will require foreign travelers to Europe to pay a small fee (€7 or $7.42) for entry to the EU.

Data gathered from the ETIAS and ESS will work together to identify a traveler’s potential risk, the EU representative explained to T+L.

Ahead of the major passport change, U.S. travelers were recently encouraged to renew their passports now, due to expected delays with a surge of summer travelers, passports are currently taking eight to 11 weeks for regular processing.