Month: August 2025

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New Requirements for European Travel – US Citizens

Photo of suitcase handle and corner of passport.

Overview

US citizens traveling to the European Union/Schengen Area need to know these important changes to travel registration and authorization requirements. 

Starting October 12, 2025, the EU is phasing in an electronic entry and exit system (EES). This means that non-EU citizens entering the Schengen Area will have their photos and biometric data recorded when entering the Area.

Starting in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2026, non-EU citizens will be required before their trip to register online with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). 

EES and ETIAS are similar to entry and security systems the USA, UK, and Australia have had in place for some time. The systems are designed to modernize travel and make border crossings simpler, safer, and faster. The EU has been planning implementation for several years.

What to Know and Do

2025 October 12 – Exit/Entry System (EES) Starts

On this date, non-EU nationals (including US citizens) traveling to the Schengen Area for short stays will start having their pictures and fingerprints taken at the Area’s external borders. While not all entry ports will have this operational on October 12, the system will be fully operational by April 10, 2026. Border entry queues may be slower at times due to collecting this information from non-EU citizens entering for the first time under these requirements.

Learn more on the official EU website: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/united-states-america/travelling-europe-etias_en

2026 Q4 – European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) Starts

The exact date ETIAS will start will be announced at least six months before the system is operational. The date is somewhat dependent upon the rollout of EES.

ETIAS is an entry requirement for non-EU citizens visiting the EU for short-term stays (up to 90 days in any 180 days) in 30 Schengen countries. It’s valid for multiple entries over three years or until your passport expires, which ever comes first. ETIAS is not a visa.

Applying for ETIAS

(WHEN ETIAS BECOMES ACTIVE) At least three days before your planned trip, apply for ETIAS via the official website or app (see below) and pay a €20 fee (about $23-$25). Authorization is sent to you via email or the official app.

Completing the ETIAS application takes about 20 minutes. You must provide your name, contact information, education, profession, passport/residence permit info, when you’ll make your first entry into the Schengen Area, and other details pertaining to entry eligibility. Processing and authorization generally take 24 hours, although in some cases it may take longer, and you may be asked to provide documentation beyond what’s generally required.

 Official Sites and Application

WHEN ETIAS BECOMES ACTIVE – Apply using the official ETIAS website or the official ETIAS mobile app. 

I’ll update this page and post photos of the app as the site and app go live. ~ KMK

Beware: There are many unofficial websites and apps that offer information about ETIAS (and EES), and many non-official sites and apps that offer systems (or will when the system is live) to complete the ETIAS. To avoid potential scams and/or unnecessary fees, use only the official EU Government website or official app when you apply. 

Learn more on the official EU website: https://www.etiaseu.com/us-citizens.

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Stating the Obvious: Gen AI Creates Misinformation About Sardinia 

Intentionally upside down photo of sailboats in a harbor.

An important reminder for everyone, including those interested in Sardinia and Sardinian handwoven textiles: Don’t believe everything you see online. 

Today on social media I saw yet more AI-generated content with incorrect, misleading information about Sardinia and supposed (not actual) women handweaving artists. I’ll try to not rant too much, and just implore: Don’t believe everything you see online. 

Know and trust your online sources. Ensure they’re real. Ensure your sources have the knowledge and experience they say they do. Ensure their content is valid, truthful, and not scraped from others. If you’re interested in handwoven textiles, make certain you and the seller/maker share the same definition of “handwoven”.

I see an increasing number of sites and social profiles that use gen AI to fabricate content about Sardinia. Their text and photos are too often inaccurate and misleading. In addition, AI-generated content about Sardinian textiles often scrapes from carefully-curated sites built by artists and their supporters without concern for artists, their work, or their rights.* Online reviews and images of Sardinian places and properties can be falsified easily — and too often are. Sadly, I’ve had to console and gently re-educate a number of folks who have made reservations or purchases in Sardinia based on misinformation they found online and didn’t verify.

Brief examples:
•  You scroll online and see photo of women at a loom, supposedly in Samugheo, with a window opening to the sea and text describing the scent of the sea influencing the textiles? Fake. 
•   A real estate site shows you a supposed listing for a house in Samugheo (or elsewhere in the island’s center) with a sunset vista of the ocean. Fake.

Samugheo is not anywhere near the sea. You can’t see or smell the ocean from Samugheo or other places in the center of the island.

As always, the best sources of information are experienced, trustworthy humans you know. 

Sardinian Arts and all that I write, share, and post are human-created and human-focused, based upon my extensive in-person experience and travels in Sardinia, my good fortune in having met many friends on the island, and my continuing exploration of the many gifts Sardinia offers. 

Don’t believe everything you see social media. Check sources. Get to know the people you meet online. Work with human beings you know and trust. People with experience, heart, and soul. 

~ Kelly Manjula Koza

*I don’t scrape from other sites. Several sites posting all AI-generated content scrape from SardinianArts.com, however 🙁

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You Said You Want to Tour Sardinia . . .

Photo collage of Sardinian locations with text stating 2026 Sardinia Tour Schedule Just Released

Life continues its fast pace, and I haven’t posted or written much in the past months because so much has been in motion – including me! 

May and June found me zig-zagging across Sardinia. I posted a few tidbits about my adventures while on the road, yet I prefer to stay present with the people, places, and experience in front of me, sharing photos and stories later. Over time, you’ll see these trickle out on social media, here on the blog, and in presentations.

July and the first part of August (the months tourists traditionally vacation in Sardinia!) found me heads-down at the computer planning new adventures — including the tours of Sardinia that so many of you have requested!

I just released details and registration for two 2026 tours. Both include visits to handweavers featured on this website, plus much more. Check them out: 

The two tours will be a bit different.

In May, we’ll spend more time with handweavers, in textile-related museums, and on textile-related adventures. We’ll also visit natural, historic, and sacred spaces of the island.

In October, we’ll visit the handweavers, yet spend less time on textile-related adventures and more time exploring other arts and cultural, historic, sacred, and natural areas. Weather permitting, the October tour may include a short boat excursion and a guided tour of breathtaking natural caverns.

If you’re a traveler — weaver or not — who wants to experience Sardinia and the island’s beauty, arts, culture, history, nature and textiles, come join me on a tour!  

~Kelly Manjula Koza

© Kelly Manjula Koza unless otherwise noted.