Beginning next year, travelers who want to go to Europe won't be able to go on the spur of the moment. That's because the European Union will require visitors to shell out about $8 for a travel visa. Unless the plan is delayed (as it already has been a few times), applicants – effective January 1, 2024 – will need to provide travel documentation, such as a passport, as well as personal information, education level, current occupation, anticipated trip details, and any criminal convictions. Passport holders from 59 of the 62 countries that currently travel visa-free to Europe will require what is referred to as a "waiver."
The EU advises visitors to apply "well in advance" because while most applications are processed within minutes by the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), some take longer to yield a decision.
Dr. Nile Gardiner is director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation. During a recent appearance on the Fox News Channel, he weighed in on the new visa requirement.
"Fortunately, of course, the United Kingdom is outside of the European Union now – but I do see this as big government overreach here," stated Gardiner. "It's quite Orwellian in some respects with the amount of information that EU officials are requesting."
According to the ETIAS, practically all countries in Western Europe (with the exception of the U.K.) will require travelers to have a waiver before entry is allowed. While that alone may cut into the number of Americans traveling to Europe, Gardiner has another concern.
"I do fear that EU officials could be using this to keep some individuals out of Europe from the United States whose political views they don't like," he states. "So, there's always potential for this kind of misuse."
Gardiner questions why American citizens, who he argues pose no national security risk to Europe, are forced to undergo this process.
"It's [actually] quite the other way around; in fact, you have large numbers of Islamist terrorists operating in Europe who pose a direct threat to U.S. national security," he contends.
"I think at the end of the day the system is going to be a hugely unwelcome addition, frankly, to going to Europe," Gardiner adds. "It's going to put a lot of U.S. citizens off travelling to Europe."
The New York Post quotes a CBS News travel editor who warns there's nothing to stop the United States from implementing a similar visa charge and application process in the future.
