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Did you know that there is an official travel website for people travelling to the European Union? Well, there is one. Travelling in Europe is the EU’s official website for travellers. It is an interesting website, with an informative and promotional tone. Right now, the first thing featured there is a section about the documents you will need to move around in Europe.

For those making plans to travel to EU countries for their next home exchange it is a must to learn about passports, identity cards and visas required.

Passport or IDs

For EU citizens, it is not a requirement to present your ID or Passport to enter another EU country, except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom. However, it is advisable to have your ID or Passport at all times, in case you are required to prove your identity, for example, in case there is a temporary security check established in any of the borders between EU countries. If you are planning to leave the EU, you are going to need your Passport or ID card.

Non-EU citizens need a valid passport to enter the EU, that is there are checks in every country receiving people from outside the EU. The only exceptions are citizens from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, because these countries have signed agreements with the EU.

Visas

EU citizens do not need a visa if they are travelling to EU countries, along with people from 34 countries travelling to the EU for less than three months. These non-EU countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America. For current information, you may search the Travelling in Europe website but it would be much simpler just to contact any EU country consulate near you and ask directly.

The requirements are different for non-EU citizens travelling to the United Kingdom and Ireland, so in their case it would be advisable to contact their representations in your country for more details.

Even if you have a valid visa, officials at the border checks may ask you for other supporting documents, like a return ticket, invitation letter from a EU resident, or lodging reservation, so make sure you cover every detail before packing your bags.

For detailed information, you can visit Travelling in Europe