ETIAS and the new travel forms US citizens keep forgetting
The US passport still opens most doors — it just comes with a longer to-do list now. ETIAS, UK ETA, Canada eTA, Australia ETA: the small forms Americans keep forgetting.
If you're a US passport holder who mostly forgets travel paperwork exists until the taxi to the airport, this one's for you. Two big changes are landing for Americans travelling abroad: the EU's new ETIAS scheme for Europe, and a fresh round of tightened entry rules in a handful of long-haul destinations. Nothing catastrophic — but enough that "I have a US passport, I'm fine" is no longer a full travel plan.
ETIAS: the EU's pre-travel form for Americans
ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorisation System — applies to visa-exempt travellers, and that includes US citizens. Launching in late 2026 with a six-month grace period, it's not a visa. It's a €20 online authorisation, valid three years, that covers 30 European countries for short stays.
You still travel on your US passport. You still get 90 days in any 180 across Schengen. You just need the ETIAS approval saved and matching your current passport before you board.
What ETIAS asks for
- Passport details
- Home address, employment, contact info
- First Schengen country you'll enter (connecting flights count)
- Security questions: criminal history, prior visa refusals, recent travel to conflict areas
Answer yes to any security question and expect a manual review — allow weeks, not minutes.
The other pre-travel forms Americans already need
- Canada eTA — $7 CAD, needed when flying into Canada. Not needed if driving.
- Australia ETA — around $20 AUD, done via the app.
- New Zealand NZeTA — $17 NZD plus a tourism levy.
- UK ETA — £16, required for US citizens for short visits since 2025.
Between these and ETIAS, if you're a US traveller doing "the classic Anglosphere plus Europe" tour, you now have five separate small online forms to fill in before boarding. Individually painless. Collectively, easy to forget one.
What is still visa-free with zero forms
Plenty. Mexico, most of the Caribbean, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, most of Latin America and the Balkans — the US passport still walks straight in with just an entry stamp. See our full list of visa-free countries for US citizens for the definitive rundown.
Common mistakes about to spike
- Booking Europe for early 2027 and forgetting ETIAS entirely. Airlines will not board you.
- Renewing your passport after applying. Your ETIAS is tied to a specific passport number — renew, reapply.
- Assuming ETIAS is a visa. It is not. It doesn't get you more than 90 days, doesn't let you work, doesn't guarantee entry.
- Assuming Ireland or the UK use ETIAS. They don't. Ireland is not in Schengen; the UK has its own ETA.
Bottom line
Your US passport is still one of the best in the world. It just has a slightly longer to-do list now. Get in the habit of checking entry rules once when you book, not the night before you fly. If you're headed to Europe, our Schengen 90/180 guide for US travellers is the other thing worth reading before you go.
Official sources: ETIAS information page (European Commission) and US State Department travel advisories.