A $7.40 fee could ruin your next trip to Europe. Miss it and 'you won't board the plane,’ expert says

cnbc.com:

Americans will soon have to apply for a travel authorization to visit Europe — and failing to get one may ruin your next trip.

The requirement, slated to start in 2024, currently applies to 30 European nations, including popular destinations like France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Travelers must apply for the travel authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS, prior to their trip.

The online application carries a non-refundable fee of 7 euros a person — or $7.40 at prevailing exchange rates as of 12 noon ET on Thursday. (People under 18 or over 70 years old are exempt from payment.)

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Europe is the top destination region for international travelers from the U.S., according to travel app Hopper. But Americans wouldn't be allowed to visit without the authorization.

«If you forget to do it, you won't board the plane,» said Sofia Markovich, a travel advisor and founder of Sofia's Travel.

The authorization isn't a visa and doesn't guarantee entry. Travelers with a valid visa don't need the authorization.

In 2016, the European Commission proposed to establish the ETIAS to strengthen security checks on Americans and nationals from roughly 60 other nations who are able to visit Europe's Schengen Area without a visa.  

The new European system is similar to one the U.S. put in place in 2008.

«After 9/11, things changed in the world,» Markovich said. «It's really about keeping things safe and knowing who comes in and who goes out.»

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