U.S. citizens will need a visa to travel to Europe beginning in 2021

A new border control system created by the European Commission will require United States citizens to get a visa to travel to Europe beginning in 2021.

The new regulation was announced by the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) on Sunday.

ETIAS was created by the European Commission to work on securing borders around the European Union.

The ETIAS said the visa to be issued to prospective US citizen travelers, which will be valid for three years, will allow a holder to enter the country as many times as necessary.

Currently, U.S. citizens may travel to Europe for up to 90 days without requiring a visa.

Like many other countries, the agency said the decision to introduce a visa for US citizens is part of efforts to improve security and avoid any further problems with illegal immigration and terrorism.

“The requirement includes the European Schengen-zone, a group of 26 countries, 22 of which are members of the European Union,’’ it said.

When enrolling in ETIAS, a person’s passport must be valid for three months after the intended stay.

Passports for over 10 years may not be accepted as valid forms of documentation for travel under the new arrangement.

Some countries affected by the new regulation include Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland, to mention but a few.

Report says a full list of countries that will require a visa from U.S. citizens is available on the ETIAS website. (dpa/NAN)