Many American travelers are worried that they will now need a visa to visit much of the European Union—but not so. Instead, a “preauthorization” will now be required for the 26 Schengen countries; see more here from the L.A. Times:
U.S. travelers can move easily from country to country, for the most part. For instance, if you want to go to France next weekend, you get on a plane and go to France.
But beginning in 2021, you’ll need preauthorization to visit certain European countries, including France, the European Union recently announced.
Please do not call this authorization a “visa.” It is not a visa, which Webster’s New World College Dictionary describes as “an endorsement on a passport, showing that a person has been granted official entry.”
If you have visited China, Russia or India, for instance, you’ve had to jump through hoops (or you have hired a company to do so on your behalf) to get that official visa. You may need to make an in-person visit to an embassy or consulate, although increasingly electronic visas are being used ... Los Angeles Times
