A few news outlets, including CNN, Esquire, and Travel & Leisure, mistakenly reported earlier this week that U.S. travelers will need a visa to travel to Europe. That is incorrect, reports the Chicago Tribune.

To be more specific, travelers to 26 European countries that comprise the Schengen Area of Europe will only need a passport and a credit or debit card to apply online for a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) permit. (The fee is expected to be about $7-$8).

Americans will need to register online and pay a fee before traveling to Europe starting in 2021.

The travel authorizations are valid for three years and an unlimited number of entries.

Officials with the European Commission and the U.S. State Department confirmed that ETIAS is simply a travel authorization for visa-free travelers, similar to the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to screen people in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
The EU delegation to the United States tried to clear it up, tweeting Friday, “Neither the #ESTA nor the future #ETIAS (EU equivalent) are visas. They carry out pre-travel screening for travelers benefiting from visa-free access.”

ETIAS and ESTA don’t require consular interviews nor the same degree of background checks as regular visas, but do require a payment and registration prior to travel.

U.S. nationals are currently able to travel for up to 90 days within the Schengen Area, the 26 EU countries that allow border-free travel among themselves.

U.S. nationals will not need a prior permit to visit the United Kingdom.