August 29, 2025

You’ve always needed a passport to travel to Europe. And in the future, you’ll need a few other things as well. Big changes are on the horizon, which will require you to apply for approval and pay a fee to visit Europe. But don’t panic: None of this is required yet — and won’t be for a while.

In the future, you’ll need more than just a passport to visit Europe.

If you haven’t already, you’re about to start hearing a lot about the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). This is a long-planned addition to Europe’s immigration process, which will require travelers to preregister and pay a small fee…someday. ETIAS has been delayed repeatedly, and it’s still not coming for at least another year (maybe more). But Europe is taking its first steps to prepare for it. As it does, you’ll see new technologies at borders — and will soon have to say goodbye to passport stamps.

Starting October 12, the European Union (EU) will begin rolling out its Entry/Exit System (EES) operations, which will consist of upgraded technology at the borders of the 29 Schengen Zone countries. This area covers much of Europe, from Iceland to Italy, from Sweden to Spain, and from Portugal to Poland. (Notably, Ireland and the United Kingdom are not included — but the UK has its own similar system, the ETA, already in effect.) This technology will create a cohesive system to help stop illegal immigration and better identify those who overstay their 90-day tourist visas.

For now, travelers don’t need to do anything; book your flights and plan your trip as normal. But when you first land in Europe, you’ll probably notice that everything is becoming more digital. Facial recognition technology may greet you at immigration, and your passport will be scanned — not stamped. (Those still craving a stamp can try asking a border guard…but no promises.)

Once ETIAS takes effect, passport stamps will be passé.

The EES rollout is expected to take about six months, meaning it won’t be fully operational until around April 2026. Once it is, it will be another six months until ETIAS is required, as the EU wants to make sure its systems are running smoothly before taking this big next step. So, you won’t have to fill out an application or pay a fee to visit Europe until at least October of next year…and, if previous delays are any indication, it might be even later than that.

This all may sound intimidating, but it’s far from unprecedented. ETIAS is essentially the same process as the United Kingdom’s ETA and the United States’ ESTA requirements — all part a broader effort to streamline immigration by digitizing the process as much as possible. While crossing a border will likely always involve some sort of waiting, these upgrades are helping make the once-archaic process more efficient…even if it means your passport will no longer be a stamp-filled scrapbook of your travels.