American travelers will have a new requirement to consider before taking a trip to Europe in 2021.

US citizens will have to get a new type of visa through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) to visit the European Schengen Area, according to the European Union's announcement on Friday.

The US had been in a disagreement with the European Parliament and European Commission, CNN reports, over visa requirements it has for citizens from five EU member nations: Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania and Cyprus.

The European Commission called for the US to reciprocate visa-free status to those five countries as it does for the other 23 EU nations part of the Schengen Area, the EU's visa-free travel zone, in a 2016 report.

American travelers can currently travel to Europe with a passport for up to 90 days, but in 2021, they will be expected to apply for a new type of visa

The 26 European countries that make up the Schengen Area allow visa free travel within. Citizens of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland and Romania are required to have a visa to travel to the US, an issue disputed by the EU since at least 2016

The report also stated the European Commission wanted 'push for full visa reciprocity' after President Trump took office, but in June of last year, the European Parliament voted in favor of imposing visas on US citizens.

Member states are required to be treated equally according to EU rules, and American citizens can travel to the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days currently.

According to the ETIAS website, the EU imposed the rules to 'improve their security level' over issues of 'illegal migration and terrorism.'

'We need to know who is crossing our borders,' the website quotes President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in his 2016 State of the Union. 'This way we will know who is travelling to Europe before they even get here.'

US travelers to Europe starting in 2021 will need a valid passport, email and a credit or debit card to apply to the ETIAS

The 'simple to use' ETIAS will then check for risk factors and travel eligibility of the applicant before providing a visa that will potentially be valid up to three years

President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker is quoted on the ETIAS website to emphasize the system as a way to improve EU security

'All in all, the ETIAS authorization will make travelling to the EU less of a hassle and a much safer experience,' the website claims.

American travelers will need a valid passport, an email account and a credit or debit card to apply for the 'simple to use' ETIAS, according to the EU.

They will have to fill out an online application and provide a small fee of almost $8. Children under the age of 18 are exempted from the fee.

After eligibility and risk factors are checked by the system, the applicant can have a travel visa authorized potentially up to three years.