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Visa, No; ‘Preauthorization,’ Yes, for Americans Traveling to Parts of Europe

New rules for the European Travel Information and Authorization System will change how Americans travel.

Many American travelers are worried that they will now need a visa to visit much of the European Union—but not so. Instead, a “preauthorization” will now be required for the 26 Schengen countries; see more here from the L.A. Times:

U.S. travelers can move easily from country to country, for the most part. For instance, if you want to go to France next weekend, you get on a plane and go to France.

But beginning in 2021, you’ll need preauthorization to visit certain European countries, including France, the European Union recently announced.

Please do not call this authorization a “visa.” It is not a visa, which Webster’s New World College Dictionary describes as “an endorsement on a passport, showing that a person has been granted official entry.”

If you have visited China, Russia or India, for instance, you’ve had to jump through hoops (or you have hired a company to do so on your behalf) to get that official visa. You may need to make an in-person visit to an embassy or consulate, although increasingly electronic visas are being used ... Los Angeles Times

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