Okay, here’s a breakdown of โthe visa/travel โauthorization information from โขthe provided text,โ organized for clarity:
1. Events Requiring Visas/Authorizations:
Commonwealth Games (Glasgow, UK): โคRequires a UK visa โขforโฃ non-EU travelers. Phocuswright Europe Conferenceโ (Barcelona,โ Spain): Requires a Schengen visa for non-EU travelers. โ This visa allows travel within โthe Schengen Area.
EASL Congress (Barcelona, โขSpain): Requires a Schengen visa for non-EU travelers. Thisโข visa allows โขtravel within theโค Schengen Area.
Winter Olympics (Italy – mentioned inโข conclusion): Likely requires a Schengen visa (Italy is in theโ Schengen Area), though the text doesn’t explicitly state this.
2. new Travel Systems Coming in 2025/2026:
Entry/Exit System (EES): Starts October 12, 2025.Requires biometric data (fingerprints and facial scans)โ from โขtravelers entering the EU. Applies โtoo โข all โขtravelers,nonetheless of visa status.
European Travel โInformation and โAuthorization System (ETIAS): Starts late โ2026. Required for travelers โfrom over 60 non-EU countries (including US, Canada, India) for short-term travel. It’sโข an online application with a fee of approximately โฌ7 โคand is expected โto replace โคsome existing visa โขrequirements.
3.โ Key Takeaways/Recommendations:
Early โApplication: Visa processes can take weeks, so apply early.
Schengen Visa Benefits: A Schengen visa allows travel to multiple countries within the Schengen Area.
Stay Informed: Travelโค rulesโ are changing,โฃ soโ keepโฃ up-to-date on ETIASโฃ and EES requirements.
Plan Ahead: โ Factor in time for โvisa applications โฃ and the new EES biometricโค data โขcollection when planning your trip.
In short: If you’re โขa non-EU citizenโค planning โto travel to Europe in 2026 for any of these eventsโ (or any other short-term travel), โyouโฃ need to be aware ofโค both potential โvisaโ requirements and โ the newโ ETIAS/EES systems.