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New entry requirements for the European Union

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If you plan to travel to Europe from the U.S., Canada or many other countries after April 10, you need to be prepared for the Entry Exit System, or EES. While most major airports in the EU have already gone online with this program, the system will be fully operational by April 10, 2026.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is in effect, having started its gradual rollout on October 12, 2025. It operates at external borders of 29 European countries, replacing physical passport stamps for non-EU travelers with digital biometric scans (fingerprints/facial images). Full, mandatory implementation is expected by April 9, 2026.

The system is designed to enhance security and track compliance with stay durations. being introduced in phases, meaning not all border points (airports, sea ports, land borders) are fully automated immediately. While operational, some border points may still use traditional, manual stamping for a limited time during the transition period ending in April 2026.

Used in 25 EU member states (excluding Ireland and Cyprus) and 4 Schengen-associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the EES is a biometric screening requirement for entry into the EU. What does that mean? It means that upon arrival, you will need to go to a kiosk and have your picture or fingerprints taken before proceeding to passport control. This system is compulsory. Unlike in the US, where you can bypass the facial recognition scan when going through security.

There have been some reports of delays with the system upon arrival, but it seems that most airports have adjusted and are processing people quickly at this point.

This is the first step in a two-step security enhancement for entering the EU.

The next rollout, called ETIAS, will require travelers from many countries (including the USA) to pre-register for entry via a government website. This is coming online in the fourth quarter of 2026, but official dates are not yet available.

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Behind the Scenes: Finding Faith in the Face of Crisis

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We are reprinting this article by Matt Maszczak, Vice President of Select International Tours, with their permission.

Behind the Scenes: Finding Faith in the Face of Crisis

The day started like any other Saturday, until the buzz of my phone sliced through the 7 AM silence. It was Edita, the President of Select International Tours. Four words: “Turn on the news.” I knew instantly. We had 500 pilgrims preparing to depart for the Holy Land, and military action had just shut down travel. Again!

While the East Coast was just waking up to the alarming headlines, our team was already in motion, connecting with our partners on the ground in Israel. The relief of confirming their safety was quickly followed by a striking realization: unlike COVID-19 or the October 7 attacks, our contacts saw these new events not as a setback; but as a difficult, necessary step toward a safer, more stable future. They were optimistic. With no groups currently in the region, all our focus immediately pivoted to upcoming departures.

What happened next was a powerful testament to the deep faith of our group leaders: they were overwhelmingly supportive. Less than 24 hours after the crisis began, the first scheduled priest convened his pilgrims. Together, they decided to proceed with the April trip unless travel was absolutely impossible. The next three group leaders echoed this resolve, a steady refusal to let fear take root.

When we arrived at the office on Monday morning, our staff was fully engaged, braced for panic, but instead, we were met with an unexpected calm. Most pilgrims set to depart in April and May had reasonable questions, which were answered with care and reassurance. We shared the conviction that our Lord is in control, even amid the most unsettling uncertainty.

While part of our team fielded these calls, others plunged into critical, hour-by-hour discussions with overseas partners, the State Department, airlines, and the countless services that weave our pilgrimages together. This task of information gathering and planning is inherently time-consuming, but after six years of recent crises and 38 years of overall experience, one truth has been proven repeatedly: rash decisions in the face of global events are almost always the wrong ones.

Every single one of our trusted contacts agreed: This is not the time to make big changes. This is the time to wait, see, and trust. They believe this military action will be short-lived, that life in Israel will return to normal, and travel will resume in no time.

One of the core benefits of selecting Select International Tours for your pilgrimage is the ability to rely on our extensive experience and established network. This ensures that all decisions are grounded in real-time information, moving beyond conjecture or reactive decisions.

Today’s news cycle makes waiting difficult. Headlines are designed to keep us anxious. But pilgrimage has never been about certainty. In times like these, we reflect on the medieval pilgrims who set out for the Holy Land or Rome with very little expectation of returning. Their journey was a difficult, serious commitment. By contrast, modern pilgrimages are often approached with an expectation of comfort and certainty. Have we lost something in that approach?

While assessing risk is necessary—and Select International will never knowingly expose anyone to danger—we must guard against allowing fear to dictate our lives. For now, we continue to monitor events, stay closely connected with our partners, and pray together. God is in control, He loves us deeply, and He’s waiting to meet us on pilgrimage, regardless of where we ultimately go to meet Him.

You can find out more about Select International Tours here.

 

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Say goodbye to getting your passport stamped in Europe…

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Getting a stamp in your passport as you enter a country has been a long-standing tradition….and a source of pride for those who love to boast about how many countries they have visited.

Europe, with 50 countries,  is compact in most cases so that distances between countries are really quite small; especially compared to the U.S., Canada or Australia, for example.

Well, the ritual of having your passport stamped is about to go away in the European Union.

A start date for the European Union’s much-delayed new system of automated border crossings has been announced. Known as EES (Entry/Exit System) it will finally begin rolling out in various countries on Sunday, October 12th. It is expected to be fully implemented in all E.U. countries by April 10th, 2026. This system will be used to register non-EU nationals for short stays.

The 29 countries participating in the E.U.’s Entry/Exit(EES) are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The system will use travelers’ biometric data to register the border crossings of non-EU citizens, including Americans, Canadians and Australians.

Travelers will have to scan their fingerprints and allow a facial photo to be taken at the first European border crossing point they encounter. That biometric data is then stored by the EES for the next three years, tracking the traveler’s entries, exits, and any refusals of entry.

You’ll only have to do this the first time you cross a E.U. border.

But, be informed, there are two exceptions: Cyprus and Ireland will continue to stamp passports manually.

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Trump’s idea to buy Greenland…is it as crazy as it sounds?

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The idea of buying territory is foreign to our U.S. way of thinking in the 21st century…..foreign, except for Donald J. Trump, who suddenly stunned the world by proposing that the U.S. should buy Greenland (currently a possession of Denmark).  Love him or hate him, we are all used to the sudden statements coming from the mouth of Mr. Trump.  Obviously those outbursts haven’t hurt him, since he was inaugurated (for the second time) as President of the United States.

But is it really such a crazy idea?  Are there any precedents for this?

Over the course of time, the United States has acquired territory through purchase, conflict, and compromise.

Some of the territories the U.S. has purchased include:

Louisiana (1803): Purchased from France for $15 million   (doubling the size of the U.S.)

Florida (1819): Purchased from Spain (in the land deal of the century, Spain received no compensation…United States merely agreed to assume liability for $5 million in damage done by American citizens who had rebelled against Spain.)

Gadsden Purchase (1853): United States agreed to pay Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico that later became part of Arizona and New Mexico.

Alaska (1867): the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire for a sum of $7.2 million. It was dubbed “Seward’s Folly” at the time, after the Secretary of State who put the deal together. The purchase was controversial because many Americans thought the land was worthless and uninhabitable.

U.S. Virgin Islands (1917): Purchased from Denmark for $25 million (yes, the same Denmark that now owns Greenland).

In addition, The U.S. has also acquired territory through conflict, for example Texas (1845), Hawaii (1898) and Guam (1898).

So, perhaps this suggestion is not quite as crazy as it sounds.  Greenland is actually closer to the U.S. than Denmark and the rest of Europe, which makes it a possible partner in national defense (there is already a U.S. Air Force Base on Greenland) but perhaps equally important is the possible mineral wealth (especially rare earth metals) underneath the permafrost that covers much of Greenland.  The battle over these world-wide promises to increase every year.  And, it looks like the U.S. has done business with Denmark in the past…the U.S. Virgin Islands being an example.

So, what has all this to do with Catholic travel?

Well, it has brought public interest in Greenland, a territory of Denmark, which we suspect many people are not very well familiar.    Yes, Greenland is an island (the largest in the world), with a surface area of 836,330 square miles (2,166,086 square kilometers), making it dwarf the country of France (551,695 square kilometers or 213,011 square miles) or the State of Texas (268,597 square miles).

Some 75% of Greenland is covered in ice, which would account for its low population density.  The entire population of Greenland was 56,865 in 2023, according to World Bank records.

The whole island is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Despite its geographic size, there is only one Catholic church on the island…..you can read about it here:  The Church of Christ the King in the capitol city of Nuuk.

 

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Are there new rules for luggage in 2025? What are they?

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There’s a lot of confusion over luggage limitations when flying, particularly for passengers from the U.S.A.  Changes are inevitable, and it can be difficult to plan for your trip when you don’t quite know the rules.

If you have been on social media lately, you have probably seen a lot of talk about changes to airline carry-on rules. Many posts say things like, “60% of all carry-on luggage no longer meets the airline restrictions” or “TSA Banning New Items.”

There’s nothing worse than having to unload your carry-on while standing in line to check in at the airport and then stuff most of it in your checked bags..or even worse, having to throw it away  (not to mention the looks you get from the people behind you!).

Some airlines have changed the dimensions of acceptable carry-on luggage and may be stricter about enforcing carry-on rules, including weight limits.

However, this is not universal, and you should be certain to confirm your airline’s rules close to travel for the best guidance.most of the information we’ve seen floating around online is clickbait at best and downright misinformation at worst.  Reliable sources are hard to find.

So, what’s the truth, and where do you find it?

Once again, our friends at Select international Tours give us the low-down on luggage rules for 2025.

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Jubilee Year 2025..here’s what to expect

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2025 Will be a Jubilee Year……here’s what to expect

It’s been announced that the year 2025 will be a Jubilee Year (also known as a “holy year,”).  An ordinary Jubilee Year is a special year in the life of the church that is only celebrated every 25 years.

Jubilee years have been held on regular intervals in the Catholic church since 1300, but they trace their roots back to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.

According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”

The most recent ordinary jubilee was in 2000; however, Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.

Jubilee 2025 LogoThe theme of the Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The papal bull, issued May 9, 2024 that introduced the coming Jubilee Year is titled “Spes Non Confundit,” or “Hope does not disappoint,” drawn from Romans 5:5. “Everyone knows what it is to hope,” Pope Francis wrote. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.we expect that Italy will be high on everyone’s list of destinations.

Jubilee 2025 opened Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024 at 7 p.m. with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican immediately before Pope Francis celebrated midnight Mass.

Holy Doors will also be opened at Rome’s three other major basilicas:

Saint John Lateran on December 29

Saint Mary Major on January 1

Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls on January 5.

A Holy Door was also opened December 26 at Rebibbia Prison, a Roman prison Pope Francis has visited twice before to celebrate Mass …… and wash inmates’ feet on Holy Thursday.

The doors represent the passage to salvation Jesus opened to humanity.  In 1423, Pope Martin V opened the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. John Lateran — the Diocese of Rome’s cathedral — for the first time for a jubilee. For the Holy Year of 1500, Pope Alexander VI opened Holy Doors at Rome’s four main basilicas. At the end of a holy year, the Holy Doors are formally closed and then bricked over.

We expect even larger crowds than normally, but don’t let that deter you.  If you are considering going to Italy for the Holy Year 2025, as we are, there are some things that will help prepare you for the experience and make your trip enjoyable.  Whether traveling individually or with a group, planning ahead can make any trip more enjoyable.

To help you prepare for the Jubilee Year 2025 we recommend this article: (courtesy Select International Tours)

You can earn a plenary indulgence by traveling to one of these churches in Rome….or even in your own country.

And here is an article from Alateia that will help in your planning.

 

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Check those gun laws when you travel

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A warning for Americans who own guns…or ammunition…. traveling to other countries:

Many countries have much stricter gun control laws than the U.S.  We encourage those of you who own guns…especially hunters..to double check, and triple check your baggage before leaving the country.  Even one overlooked bullet or shotgun shell can cause a great deal of trouble.  And (hopefully) it goes without saying….leave any weapons you own at home.

A warning for Americans traveling to the Turks & Caicos:

The territory of Turks and Caicos has enacted strict new laws, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 12 years for carrying guns or ammunition.  Here is an example of how a simple mistake can land someone in prison for a very long time:

Article courtesy of Fox News:

Ryan Watson from Oklahoma is behind bars there and has a bail hearing on April 25. The Oklahoma man was arrested when airport security found bullets in his luggage, which he says he brought by mistake.  He is now facing up to 12 years in prison for having ammunition in his carry-on bag at a Turks and Caicos airport, according to a GoFundMe page for his family.

Ryan and Valerie Watson, the parents of two young children, were flying home from their island vacation, where they were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday, on April 12 when they were arrested at the airport.

“They had their lives turned upside down when they tried to return home, as local airport security found four rounds of ammunition unknowingly left in a duff[le]bag from a deer hunting trip,” a description on the family’s GoFundMe page states. “It was not noticed by TSA when leaving America. Now, they are facing a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting, and expensive that operates differently than the American Justice System.”

The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a travel alert in September 2023 telling Americans not to bring ammunition to the islands.

One tip for U.S. gun owners traveling abroad that we like:

For hunters and shooters in general….have a separate bag for guns and ammunition….and be sure to leave that bag at home! That way you are unlikely to end up in the situation described above.

 

 

 

 

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U.S. State Department issues a world-wide travel warning…what does that mean?

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The U.S. State Department has issued a World-Wide Travel Warning….but what does that really mean to you?

While this sounds rather ominous, Travel Advisories have become the norm for the U.S. State Department, especially since the pandemic.  In the beginning stages of the pandemic the State Department issued a “Worldwide Caution” warning that was lifted in August 2020.

The current warning comes amidst major geopolitical tensions over the war in the Middle East, and, of course, the ongoing war in Ukraine.

These advisories are numbered according to importance, with Level 1 (Exercise normal precautions) ranging up to Level 4 (Do not travel).

The current advisory is not advice to avoid travel. Rather, it’s advice to exercise increased caution and “stay alert” in locations that are frequented by tourists. In most cases where travel to another country is involved, that is always good advice regardless of any travel warnings.

You can find the various warnings on the U.S. State Department website here.

The State Department is also advising all travelers going abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts in case of an emergency.  This can help in many ways, such as arranging evacuation flights in some cases.  Canada and other countries have similar programs.  Bear in mind there are no guarantees, as independent travelers coming home from Israel will testify (evacuation flights were not available and most had to buy their own tickets at fairly high prices).

Of course, if you are traveling with a group such as Select International Tours, and if problems should arise,  and you need to return home, you can rely on their team of professionals to make those arrangements for you.  This was the case most recently for several of their groups traveling in Israel….and they all made it home safely.

Those of us who travel often….and especially tour operators….have been through this before.  We’ll never forget the chaotic days of 9/11 when troops were stationed in airports as the burning Twin Towers were being shown on the TV screens all over the airport.  Since that event, it goes without saying that travel has changed significantly. Today, we tend to check out locations a bit more carefully than before (realizing that the news media will always try to find the worst stories possible).

Well, our decision is to keep traveling….with certain precautions in mind.  Traveling with a group is a pretty good idea…..most everything is handled for you and a lot of the details are up to them.  And, of course, certain destinations may not be advisable.  For now, Israel trips have been cancelled by almost all tour operators.

But if you want to travel to Europe there are good options:  The one we like best at the moment is Poland…a traditional Catholic country that has survived Communism and kept the Faith.  And, of course, river cruises are another great choice.

Finally, for those in the U.S. and Canada who might wish to stay on the North American Continent, we suggest Mexico (yes, it is in North America).  Although parts of the country are not safe, tours to Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and the area around it pose little threat to pilgrims.  The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe makes a great pilgrimage.

Like everyone else, we continue to monitor the situation and pray for peace.

 

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Thinking of cancelling your trip to Israel? What about refunds?

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With the current war (we’re not calling it “unrest” any more) in Israel, most tour companies have postponed their trips to Israel for at least the next few weeks…..while others have cancelled all scheduled trips remaining in 2023.

We do not expect a quick resolution to this conflict, so we certainly agree with those decisions.  Here is what we have been able to find out so far….but you need to check with the tour operator for exact terms and conditions.

Will I get a refund if I cancel my trip to Israel?

If the tour company cancels the tour to Israel, then you should be entitled to a full refund in most cases.  Postponement is something different, you are not likely to  be offered a refund, even if the dates are not convenient for you.  Most of the tour companies we have looked at will offer to transfer the funds you have paid and apply them to a trip to a different destination or to Israel on a different date in the future.

If you cancel, you probably won’t get all your money Back.    The situation there is so volatile that we are not sure how things will develop.  If you do decide to cancel, will you get a refund of what you have paid?

Most tour companies have cancellation policies that go in to effect almost immediately after you make your first payment and get steeper the closer you get to your departure date.  Let’s face it, most people don’t read the fine print regarding cancellation policies.  So, if you decide to cancel, you may get a partial refund depending upon that companies cancellation policy, and whether you have paid a deposit or the full amount.  You will need to check with your tour company for the exact terms and conditions.

This is not because the tour companies are greedy, but they have to put deposits down with various suppliers that are likewise subject to cancellation fees.

What about travel insurance….won’t that cover my cancellation?

Some time ago, we put a page on our website titled “Travel Insurance….don’t leave home without it!”

That is still good advice…..but not all travel insurance policies are the same.  There are various terms and conditions that must be met in order to get a refund, and, (the cost of the insurance itself will not be refunded).

Even if you have travel insurance, you still might not get a full refund if you decide to cancel.

Under most travel insurance policies, war, acts of war, and political unrest are excluded from cancellation coverage, meaning any resulting claims likely will not be paid.  The problem is that most travel insurance policies typically do not have specific definitions for war.  These are very vague terms, and give the insurance companies plenty of latitude to deny a claim.  We’re not beating up on travel insurance companies….just stating our observations.  Certainly what is going on in Israel right now would be considered a war by most people, but that doesn’t mean that the insurance companies will look at it that way.

There is a type of travel insurance that will cover this…..”Cancel for Any Reason“.  But hold on….you have to meet certain conditions and some of you may have already lost the opportunity.

In order for a traveler to be eligible for Cancel For Any Reason, many travel insurance companies require that certain conditions must be met. 

According to Traveldefenders.com, there are typically three conditions that must be met to purchase a Cancel For Any Reason Rider:

  1.   Purchase the policy within 10 – 21 days of First Trip Payment
  2.   Insure ALL prepaid and non-refundable travel expenses prior to departure;
  3.   Trip arrangements must be canceled more than 48 -72 hours prior to the departure date.

If you have already passed that first date, then you will most likely not be eligible to purchase a “Cancel for any Reason” insurance policy.  Again, you should check with your insurance provider, since companies may vary in their terms and conditions.

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Travel to Israel Cancelled Due to War

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Not long ago we wrote a blog article pointing out how safe it was for pilgrims to travel to Israel. At the time, that was true….pilgrims found, to their surprise, that they were perfectly safe.  Although there have been long-simmering calls for the elimination of Israel by Hamas, there was did not appear any imminent threat.

Airstrike in IsraelBut now, everything has changed….and perhaps permanently.   We seem to have reached a tipping point.  Obviously this will go down as one Israel’s rare intelligence failures.  Mossad, Israel’s Intelligence agency, has had a reputation as perhaps the premiere intelligence agency in the world.  Apparently they were not prepared for a wide ranging attack by Hamas within the borders of Israel, even though this attack took place not only on the Jewish Sabbath, but also on the Festival of Sukkot, which is one of the major feast days and often a time when militants have been known to attack, it would have called for the highest alert on the part of Israeli defense forces….and yet, they were caught by surprise. Our guess is that there will be a lot of second-guessing amongst the intelligence staff of Mossad.

This situation is too complicated to cover in depth in this blog post….there are many parties involved and many moving parts.  Some progress was recently reported in the effort to get Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel…something that would have changed the dynamics in the region significantly. And that may be why Hamas schedule this attack at this time…to disrupt these talks.  And, Iran has been known to fund activities of both Hezzbollah and Hamas….but little is known specifically about the Iran’s involvement in these attacks.

The Israeli military response will undoubtedly result in civilian casualties in the occupied territories, which of course will be held against them…..despite the fact that they were attacked in the first place.  And so the cycle of violence will continue.

The danger of this spreading in what is a volatile region (to say the least) is worrisome.  Already, in Egypt, two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian tour guide were shot dead in Alexandria, apparently by a policeman.

Israel is at War

When you have armed militants in your country kidnapping innocent civilians, executing them at will, then this is now more than just a brief incursion, and must be considered an act of war. as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday October 8.  Just how far things will go we cannot say, but the outlook as of today (October 9) does not look good.  Israel has issued a complete blockade of the West Bank, cutting off water and electricity as well.

Meantime….rockets continue to be launched not only from the West Bank, but…even more worrying….from Lebanon.  The latter threatens to expand the hostilities further than just Israel, Hezbollah (consisting mainly of Sunni Muslims aligned with Iran) controls most of Lebanon and Iran provides Hezbollah with most of its funding, training, and weapons.

And….there are still some fighting going on within Israel between the Israeli Defence Force and Hamas in occupied towns and buildings.

 

Status of pilgrims scheduled to travel to or return from Israel:

Pilgrims in Israel looking for flights home
Photo courtesy Times of Israel

So far as we can tell, all tour companies have cancelled their scheduled trips to Israel through the end of 2023, and have worked feverishly to bring any pilgrims already in Israel home as quickly as possible.  You can read one such response here from Select International Tours.

As a side note, many people on various blogs were talking about something happening in October. We cannot say…only time will tell.  In the meantime, please pray for peace in the Middle East.  Events like this have been known to spiral out of control beyond what we see now.