The Canadian tourist will be required by next year to take an additional step to be able to travel to Europe, or at least to a large part of this continent.

This travel authorization will be mandated for every short-term stay in 30 European countries, obtained through the "European Travel Information and Authorization System" (ETIAS). It is an electronic authorization system operated by the European Union for visa-exempt visitors traveling to EU countries or the Schengen Area. It is worth noting that the latter consists of 27 countries, of which 23 are EU member states, along with four member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Together, these countries form the Schengen Area.

This authorization will allow travelers to visit these countries for up to 90 days at a time within a period of no less than 180 days.

The European Union clarified on its website that it is not a visa but a travel authorization for third-country citizens exempt from the visa requirement. This system was established mainly for security reasons.

It is noteworthy that Canada is not the only country affected by this measure, as visitors from 60 countries, including the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, must comply with these requirements.

The cost of the new authorization is seven euros, or approximately 10.25 Canadian dollars, and it can be obtained through the ETIAS website or mobile app.

Some individuals may not even need to pay the fees. Travelers under 18 years of age, those over 70 years of age, and family members of an EU citizen are exempt from the fees.

The 30 concerned countries are:

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.

It is also mentioned that once the travel authorization is obtained, it will be valid for up to three years, but it is necessary to reapply for the authorization if the passport expires.

The EU website stated that most applications are processed within minutes, with a warning that it could take up to 30 days.