Travelling to Europe in 2024? You may need extra documentation

From 2024, Australians will need to apply through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to enter 30 European countries.

ETIAS is an electronic system that completes a security check of visitors before they can enter any Schengen Area country. It will also be used by some EU countries outside the Schengen Area.

You won’t need an ETIAS for EU countries who aren’t taking part in the program.

Attention, passengers. If you plan to travel to Europe in 2024, you may need more than your passport to make that next dream vacation come true.

Starting in 2024, people with Various passports will be required to obtain additional travel authorization to enter 30 European countries for short-term visits. This documentation is part of a system known as the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) as a way to manage and prevent migration crime and terrorism, according to the European Commission.

People who are considered visa-exempt will have to have an accepted EITAS travel authorization form to travel to countries like France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Germany. For a list of countries requiring this extra authorisation step, click here.

For a list of what people will need to submit and provide to receive an ETIAS authorization potentially, click here. The cost of the EITAS application is seven euros, but according to the official ETIAS website, "travellers under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will not need to pay the fee. Debit and credit card payments are accepted."

According to AAA, the ETIAS isn't a formal visa but rather more of an electronic travel authorization form that travellers must keep on their person and their phone.

"I wouldn't let this deter you from planning anything," AAA Travel Agent Cacki Jones said. "It's just going to be just another step that you're going to have to do. And, again, hopefully, it won't be anything too time-consuming since it's an electronic form, and it's not going to be anything difficult."

Jones estimated the progress would usually result in a "pretty quick turnaround," and the ETIAS website estimates once an application is processed, a decision "will be obtained within minutes."