Are you REAL ID ready? REAL ID Required on Drivers License May 7, 2025
By:
Fox Travel
| Published 05/13/2024
New state and Federal Identification requirements are effective May 2025 for all Texas residents. Beginning May 7, 2025, only state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards that are fully compliant with the REAL ID Act will be accepted for official federal government purposes, such as entering secure federal buildings or boarding domestic flights. Texas began issuing REAL ID compliant cards on October 10, 2016, and these cards are marked with a gold circle with an inset star located in the upper right-hand corner. See details at RealID. See this list for all 50 U.S. states' requirements. (https://www.dhs.gov/real-id)
International visitors to Europe must pre-register before travel.
ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)
International travelers arriving by air, land or sea visiting the 28 European nation Schengen zone will be required to pre-register before arrival. NOTE: The effective date is subject to change, now estimated to go live in 2025. See European visa waiver procedure.
EES (European Entrance/Exit Protcols)
European Entrance/Exit protocols will be implemented in the near future. See more: Entry/Exit System (EES) - Schengen Area Border Control (schengenvisainfo.com)
ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization)
United Kingdom only. International travelers visiting the United Kingdom will be required to apply for the digital authorization on line. It will not be a physical document. Implementaion date is to be announced. No firm date has been announced.
NOTE: Implementation dates above are not guaranteed and have changed since first announcement.
