EU Court rules against imposing visas on US citizens in reciprocity debate

EU Court rules that the EU is not obligated to impose visas on US citizens despite lack of reciprocity. US citizens will still enjoy visa-free travel to Europe.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has weighed in on a debate between the European Parliament and the EU Commission. The subject? Whether or not to slap visas on United States citizens in the name of reciprocity.

(FILES) A US government official with the State Department's Passport Services places a new blank US Passport with an embedded electronic chip into the "book printer," entering personal data and the photograph of an applicant on June 14, 2007, in Washington, DC. It is an "unprecedented demand", which comes up against the need to "rebuild" a service practically dismantled during covid, US Secretary od State Antony Blinken acknowledged, as travel surges post-Covid. The US State Department asked citizens to "check the expiration date of the document and renew it" as soon as possible before traveling. (AFP)

Here's the scoop: Last October, the European Parliament took the EU Commission to task over its refusal to impose visas on US citizens, despite the US not extending the same courtesy to Bulgarian, Croatian, Cypriot, and Romanian nationals.

Fast forward to September 5th, and the EU Court has spoken. They've ruled that the EU isn't obliged to impose visas on US citizens, even if the US isn't playing fair. According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, the court's judgment states that the EU can decide to suspend visa exemptions at its own discretion.

In other words, while the principle is that only countries granting visa exemptions to all EU member nationals should enjoy the same privilege for their own citizens, the Commission gets the final say.

"The Commission therefore did not exceed its discretion in taking the view that it was not required to suspend the exemption of United States nationals from the visa requirement," the Court declares.

So, what's all the fuss about? Well, currently, US citizens can waltz into Europe without a visa. But, by mid-2024, they'll need to jump through a new hoop called the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). Think of it as Europe's answer to America's ESTA.

Speaking of ESTA, most EU folks already have to wrangle with it when heading to the US, except those from Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania, who need a B1/B2 visa. Croatia scored an ESTA pass as part of the US Visa Waiver Program in December 2021.

In the end, the EU Court's verdict means that US citizens will continue to enjoy visa-free jaunts across the Atlantic despite the grumbling. And as the world turns, the visa reciprocity dance goes on.