Europe

The old continent and the mother of 44 countries, stretching from Asia to the Atlantic, and from Africa to the Arctic. European countries welcome more than 480 million international visitors per year, more than half of the global market, and 7 of the 10 most visited countries are European nations.

Many European countries are members of the European Union (EU), which has its own currency (the Euro) and laws. There are no border controls between signatory countries of the Schengen Agreement (only at the outside borders).

Not all EU members adopted the Schengen Agreement (open borders) or the Euro, and not all countries that adopted Schengen or Euro are European Union members.

below map clarifies EU / Schengen / Non EU countries

The European countries that are not part of the Schengen zone are Albania, Andora, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

Entering Europe

Citizens of the United States with a valid US passport can travel to 26 European member countries of the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days without having to apply or obtain a Schengen visa for short-term tourism or a business trip.
Note: (Starting January 1, 2021, US citizens will have to apply for an ETIAS prior to their travel towards Europe, in order to be allowed to enter the territory.)

Citizens of Which Countries Need a Schengen Visa to go to Europe?

The countries whose citizens are required to obtain a Schengen visa in order to enter any member country of the Schengen Area are:

Afghanistan, Gabon, Oman, Algeria, Gambia, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, Papua, New Guinea, Armenia, Guinea, Palestinian Authority, Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Philippines, Bahrain, Guyana, Qatar, Bangladesh, Haiti, Russia, Belarus, India, Rwanda, Belize, Indonesia, Sao Tome And Principe, Benin, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Iraq, Senegal, Bolivia, Jamaica, Sierra, Leone, Botswana, Jordan, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, South Africa
Burma/Myanmar, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kuwait, Sudan, Cameroon, Kyrgyzstan, Suriname, Cape Verde, Laos, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Chad, Lesotho, Tajikistan, China, Liberia Tanzania, Comoros, Libya, Thailand, Congo, Madagascar, Timor-Leste, Cote D’ivoire, Malawi, Togo, Cuba, Maldives, Tonga Dem. Rep. Of Congo, Mali, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Morocco, Uganda, Egypt, Mozambique, Uzbekistan Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal, Yemen, Ethiopia, Niger, Zambia, Fiji, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Northern Mariana’s