Americans won't have to pay Europe's new entrance fee until 2025

• The European Union has pushed back its new "ETIAS" travel authorization to 2025.
• The new rules will require US travelers to pay a $7.50 fee and fill out an entrance form.

US tourists will get an extra year of free travel to Europe after the European Union pushed back its plans to charge a fee for entry.

European officials confirmed on Friday that the EU's "ETIAS" travel authorization, which will require travelers from the US to complete an application form and pay €7 ($7.50) to enter the bloc, has been delayed until 2025.

The new rules, which were expected to roll out in 2024, will apply to 60 visa-free countries, including the US, UK, and Canada.

The EU has said that the application for entry will not take more than 10 minutes to process, but some travelers could be kept waiting up to 30 days if they are required to do an interview or submit extra documentation.

The new authorization will last for up to three years, or until your passport expires. US visitors can currently travel to the 27 countries within Europe's Schengen zone for 90 days without a visa.

While tourists traveling to Europe can soon expect to pay a fee, one thing they won't get back is a physical passport stamp, with the EU planning to replace manual passport stamping with a digital system that relies on fingerprint and face scans by 2024.

US tourists have flocked to Europe this year as international travel continues to recover from the pandemic slump.

The number of passengers traveling between the US and Europe in July was up 14% compared to 2019, according to data from trade group Airlines for America.