Travel documents checklist

Avant de partir

The paperwork to check before you fly: passports, entry rules, insurance, cards and copies.

Visa: Not needed for US citizens staying up to 90 days in any 180
Passport: Valid 3+ months after you leave Schengen; issued within 10 years
At the border: Fingerprints and photo under the EU Entry/Exit System
ETIAS: Not required yet as of October 2026

BLUE PASSPORT Travel · FrancePrintable checklist · verified October 2026

Before you leave home

Passport for every traveler, valid at least 6 months beyond your return date and with a blank page
Photo of each passport data page saved on your phone and in email; paper copy packed separately
Return or onward flight confirmation on your phone
Hotel or host addresses for the first nights
Schengen day count checked with the EU calculator if you've spent time in Europe in the last six months
UK ETA if London, Edinburgh or Northern Ireland is on the itinerary
Schengen visa if you're a green-card holder whose passport requires one
Consent letter (notarized) for any child not traveling with both parents
Prescriptions and a doctor's letter for controlled medications; meds in original packaging
Travel insurance policy number and the insurer's 24-hour phone line
Credit and debit cards, with your bank told about the trip and your PIN memorized (see money)
International Driving Permit if you plan to rent a car (see driving)
STEP enrollment done
No ETIAS needed yet; check again if you're traveling in 2027

Useful numbers

112 any emergency, from any phone · 15 medical · 17 police · 18 fire

US Embassy Paris +33 1 43 12 22 22, also the after-hours emergency line

Prices and rules were checked in October 2026 and change often. Confirm tickets, hours and entry rules on official sites before you travel. €1 ≈ $1.12.