The coming of the New Year is usually a time where we resolve to make changes in our lives. We make plans to lose weight, travel more, dedicate more of our limited time on earth to bettering hobbies or seeing more of our friends and family. Maybe we want to call our mothers more, or our fathers, or maybe we want this year to the year where we finally write that book. But while naysayers may say that the new year serves only as an arbitrary day of self-imposed change, sometimes government agencies make changes for us.

Welcome, fellow travelers, to 2025: the EES and ETIAS seem to (maybe) be upon us.

What is the EES?

The EES and the ETIAS are new travel requirements that have actually been in the works for several years for entry into the European Union. The EES, or Entry/Exit System, is meant to automate and eventually replace the passport checks that Non-EU citizens face when entering or exiting. For those of us who are traveling for short stays, as defined by the EU as up to 90 days within a 180-day period, we’ll have to contend with this new system.

The EES is meant to automate the entry and exit process by collecting biometric data, when we enter and leave the EU, the data already in our passports such as our date of birth and the passport’s date of expiration, and whether or not we’ve been refused entry into the EU. The EES is also supposed to replace the standard passport stamping, which will surely be a blow to everyone who, like myself, enjoyed collecting stamps from their travels. While the idea of biometric data being collected is not exactly thrilling, the EU is implementing this new border system in order to catch people who overstay their welcome in the Schengen Area without the proper paperwork, such as a work visa, and to prevent potential identity fraud.

There is currently not a set date for when the EES will be implemented, though some speculate it will kick off during the late spring or early summer. However, there is a firmer date for the next travel requirement: six months after EES begins, the ETIAS goes into effect.

What is the ETIAS?

The European Travel Information and Authorization System is a new travel requirement that any future visitors must apply for. For countries that do not need a full-blown visa to travel to the EU, such as travelers from the United States, future tourists will now need to apply for an ETIAS waiver in addition to having their passport handy.

 It’s best to apply for the ETIAS waiver as soon as you know you want to travel, have a business trip on the books, or are traveling for any medical reasons. Though it’s easy enough to get your ETIAS approved, there’s always a chance that due to errors in the form (or for any reason) that the request will be rejected, and the last thing you want is to be stranded at the airport. Once your waiver is obtained, you’ll be able to access any of the countries in the Schengen Area while you’re traveling, and lasts for 3 years unless your passport expires before that date. As the ETIAS is attached to your passport, you have to make sure that your passport isn’t on the verge of expiring before you apply.

What do you need?

Right off the bat, it’s important you know one thing: it does indeed cost money to obtain an ETIAS waiver. However, unlike a travel visa that costs around €80, the ETIAS form costs only €7. It’s also important to note that you must fill out a form for every individual traveler, and that if you are yielding that responsibility to someone else, there is another form that you must sign that shows you are allowing that third party to handle your waiver application process. Even if you are applying for a minor, you still need to fill out that form. This is good to know should you desire to have your travel agent handle all this paperwork for you.

As to what you need to fill out your own form, you’ll need your personal information: name, date of birth, nationality, your email, and phone number. You will also need the names of your parents. You’ll need all details from your travel documents (i.e. your passport), and need to list your level of education and current occupation. You’ll also need to list why you’re traveling, such as whether you’re traveling for business or for vacation, and any criminal history you may have. Now, if you’re like me, that can all sound a bit daunting at first. After all, that’s a lot of information and more paperwork for you. However, if you know for sure that European travel is in your future within the next three year period, it’s a good idea to fill it out as soon as possible so you don’t need to worry about time crunches. The good news is that approval usually takes up to 96 hours, and sometimes yields results quicker than that.

When does this go into effect?

That’s an excellent question that, as of January 2025, does not have a clear-cut answer. This project has been pushed back several times over the years, and was most recently delayed from its initial launch in 2024 as several key nations felt they would not be ready. However, they are insistent that 2025 is the year this all changes. So what do we need to expect?

For now, we are still waiting on the EES to be implemented. Once that begins, there will be a six-month grace period where travelers will not need to fill out paperwork for an ETIAS waiver. However, once that six-month deadline has passed, we will officially have new European travel requirements. Until the EES is officially debuted, however, you can continue to travel as you have in the past.

Don’t Panic

The most important thing to remember when planning your trips going forward is that all of this, while perhaps an additional hassle, is not a substantive barrier to travel. As troublesome as additional paperwork can be, obtaining your ETIAS waver shouldn’t be too much of an impediment to your spring, summer, fall, or even winter vacations to Greece or any of the other European countries. For my part, I’ve put it in my calendar alongside my passport renewal date, and consider it the price of a nice Greek Islands summer, (even if I would rather not). As long as it stays on the travel checklist, vacationing in Europe should still be as easy as pie.

By Katarina Kapetanakis