Travel Tips to Help Navigate Your Travel

As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, there are some changes now in place for those traveling to the United Kingdom that I will touch on later in this blog but for domestic travel, here in the United States, there is a change that will come into effect as early as May 7th, 2025.

REAL ID

This upcoming change is in relation to the need for travelers to have what’s called Real ID for boarding any flights in the United States and also for anyone entering any Federal Buildings here in the U.S. This change is coming in order to enhance security and to help reduce identity fraud.

If you utilize your driver’s license for domestic airplane travel, then it’s very important that you confirm that your license qualifies as Real ID with a gold star present in the upper right-hand corner as shown here.

Fortunately, here in Florida, they have been issuing these acceptable licenses since January 1st, 2010, but other states have not been as proactive so that you may need to check your own license if you use it to travel domestically.  Of course, you can also use your passport, Global Entry, or TSA Pre-check identification in lieu of your license and likely already do for the sake of expedited processing for security.

Passports

When it comes to international travel, many countries require that your passport not be expired as many as 6 months past your departure date from their country.  This requires us all to be prudent with our passport expiration dates so as to not get stuck with messing up any travel plans abroad.  Airlines can and will deny boarding an aircraft if this isn’t adhered to and worse would be to get to the country and be denied entry. 

Visas

More and more countries are adopting varying forms of ‘entry’ to their country in order to protect their own citizen’s safety and security and to also control the length of stay within their borders. Some visas are easier to get upon arrival while others are required to be applied for either online or even in person through embassy or consulate visits.

Here’s a country specific tool to use to see what’s required internationally for American passport holders:  Americans Traveling Abroad This website gives all sorts of great information about the country including requirements for entry and exit and so much more valuable information for visitors.

And here’s the link for Canadian passport holders: Travel advice and advisories - Travel.gc.ca The Canadian link also offers information about the Entry and Exit Requirements for each country, along with other information including the risk to travel there, the laws & culture and various other helpful tips about each one as well.

Important Information for Travelers to Europe

I wanted to share some important information that you’ve likely heard about if you’re traveling any time soon to either the United Kingdom or anywhere within the European Union in the coming months.

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As of January 8th, 2025, anyone traveling to or through any of these countries will be required to apply for an online ETA or Electronic Travel Authorization. This is the link that will explain what it’s all about: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) - GOV.UK and here’s the link to actually complete the application: How to apply - Apply for an ETA to come to the UK - GOV.UK The cost for this application is 10 GBP or roughly $12 U.S.

The European Union has been hoping to institute a similar program for years now and they’re saying that now, 2025 is the year. The jury is still out as to when it will actually start and there’s a 2-step process to this one.

They have both the EES, which stands for Entry/Exit System, and they also have their planned ETIAS, which stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. Before the latter can occur, the former has to be completed, and they say that the ETIAS will be ready 6 months after the EES is ready. Since the EES has still not been completed, it’s anticipated the ETIAS will not happen any sooner than the back half of 2025. If anything changes with this, I will certainly let you know in a timely manner. Here are the links for each of these 2 European Union systems: EES - European Union and ETIAS - European Union

The good news is that the EES will need no efforts ahead of anyone traveling and will only be managed at each of the border crossings within the European Union. The ETIAS, on the other hand, will require upfront effort ahead of travel and a small fee of 7 euros per person but as mentioned earlier, will not occur until 6 months after the EES is in place. Here’s the link for the comparison between the 2: Key differences between ETIAS and the EES - European Union

I hope I haven’t lost anyone on this, but just rest assured, I will let you all know when this comes into play where we’ll need to take action for travel to Europe, besides what was mentioned above with the U.K. that is now in effect.

Driver’s Licensing Required Abroad

It’s critical, if you’re planning to rent a car in another country, that you ensure that you’re prepared with the correct documentation as well. Here’s a link to confirm what may be required for each of the countries where you may be planning to rent a car:  Use this link if you have an American license: Driving and Road Safety Abroad  and for Canadians, check out this link: International Driving Permit - Travel.gc.ca  It’s worth checking these websites to confirm whether you need anything other than your own driver’s license before acquiring an International Driving Permit as there are many countries that don’t require the latter.

If required, an International Driving Permit is easy to apply for through your local AAA or CAA. The link for the former, for Americans is AAA IDP International Driving Permit and the latter, for Canadians is International Driving Permit - CAA National 

If you would like to work with me to help you navigate any of this, I’m happy to assist with your travel plans when you’re ready. I hope you've found this helpful.