Route file
United States → Schengen area

A US passport into the Schengen area

Thirty European countries, one 90-day allowance between them, and — since April 2026 — a biometric system that counts the days for you. There is still nothing to apply for before you fly.

What do I need to apply for?
Nothing, today.

A US passport valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure, with an issue date within the last ten years. No authorisation, no fee, no form.

ETIAS will change this, but it has not launched — no applications are being collected and no start date has been announced. Anyone selling you an ETIAS today is selling nothing.

Checked against primary EU sources on 15 September 2026

The two things that matter on this route

They are constantly confused with each other, including by sites that sell visa services.

Already running

EES — at the border

The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at every external Schengen crossing since 10 April 2026. It is not a permit and there is nothing to apply for.

  • Your face and fingerprints are recorded on first entry
  • It counts your 90-days-in-180 automatically, instead of relying on passport stamps
  • No fee — if a site charges you an "EES fee", it is selling nothing
  • Expect a slower first crossing while you are enrolled
European Commission · read 15 Sep 2026
Not open

ETIAS — before you fly

A travel authorisation you will apply for online in advance. The fee is set in law at €20 and free for under-18s and over-70s. It will be valid three years or until your passport expires.

  • No applications are being collected
  • No start date has been announced by any EU body
  • The EU says it will give several months' notice
  • An official EU page still says the fee is €7 — it is €20
What is actually confirmed about ETIAS →

Your 90 days are a rolling window

This is the rule that catches people out, and it is the one EES now enforces exactly. It is not 90 days per calendar year and not 90 days per trip.

How the 180-day rolling window works Standing on 1 June, the previous 180 days contain a 40-day winter trip and a 60-day spring trip: 100 days, ten over the 90-day allowance. Standing on 1 August the window has slid 61 days forward, the winter trip has dropped out of it entirely, and only the 60-day spring trip counts, leaving 30 days available. Standing on 1 June, look back 180 days ← 180-day window → Winter · 40 Spring · 60 days 1 Jun 100 days used — 10 over. Refused entry. Standing on 1 August, the window has slid 61 days forward ← 180-day window → Winter · dropped out Spring · 60 days 1 Aug 60 days used — 30 available.
The window is anchored to the day you are standing on, not to January. Every day that passes, the far edge moves forward and the oldest day of travel drops out of the count — so days come back gradually rather than resetting. EES now performs this arithmetic at the border, which means the margin for error that passport stamps used to allow is gone.
The part most guides get wrong The 30 Schengen countries share one allowance. Days in Portugal and days in Poland come out of the same 90. Ireland and Cyprus are not in it; Switzerland, Norway and Iceland are.

The facts for this route

Authorisation neededNone today
Fee todayNo fee
Stay permitted90 days in any 180
Passport validity3 months beyond departure, issued within 10 years
At the borderEES biometric registration Commission · 15 Sep 2026
Coming: ETIAS fee€20 Reg. (EU) 2025/1411
ETIAS start dateNot published
Staying beyond 90 daysNeeds a national visa Long-stay options →

What changed on this route

Only entries that affect a US passport holder travelling to the Schengen area.

10 April 2026Schengen area

EES became fully operational at every Schengen border

After a phased start in October 2025, the Entry/Exit System now runs at all external crossing points. Your face and fingerprints are recorded, and the system counts your 90-days-in-180 for you rather than relying on passport stamps. There is nothing to apply for and no fee.

Now live European Commission
18 November 2025Schengen area

The €20 ETIAS fee became law — though nothing is collected yet

€7→€20

The delegated regulation setting the fee at €20 entered into force, replacing €7. It only takes effect once ETIAS is operational, and ETIAS is not.

Fee set Not yet open Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411
12 October 2025Schengen area

EES started its phased rollout

Biometric registration began at selected crossings under a temporary derogation allowing a progressive start, ahead of full operation the following April.

Rollout European Commission

Where to check it yourself

Nothing on this route costs money right now

A US passport holder pays nothing to enter the Schengen area today. Any site charging you for an ETIAS, an EES registration or a "Schengen travel authorisation" is charging for something that either does not exist or is free.

Lookalike domains use the scheme's initials plus a word like official, gov or apply. The genuine sources are on europa.eu and state.gov.

European Commission — EEShome-affairs.ec.europa.eu European Commission — ETIAStravel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias US State Department — country informationtravel.state.gov

Related routes

ETIAS scheme fileWhat is confirmed, what is blank, and why the date everyone quotes has no source.