Since the term "European" implies more than one country it is best to contact the U.S. State Dept. and see what are the requirements for the country(ies) that you intend to visit, a quick reference is here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html Hope this is useful! *************************************** re: A lazy answer Are you suggesting that an answer needs to outline all of the laws regarding visas in each individual European country, 44 in all! Are you also suggesting as an American travelling to Europe, they should NOT contact the State Dept to ensure that his travel papers are in order?!?! I'm sure the Ukranian border patrol would take "...well, the guy on Answerbag said this was all I needed!" as a good enough excuse. This was a fairly broad question, It's like asking whether you need to apply for a visa to travel to Asia, which by the way my answer also is good for. I reasearched to find the appropriate State Dept. page, anyone travelling to anywhere in the world need only click on the link and then on the country(ies) they intend to visit for a detailed outline of that countries visitor requirements, did you even look at the link? ...If you ask me, this was a lazy rating! There are actually a few of us on this site answering questions to help people out. I'm not going to answer factual questions without some research ...opinions, that's another story! In the future I'll be sure to speculate about what the questioner meant, and then speak in generalities to ensure I cover a broad range to cover every possibility that he/she meant...and to try to hide my obvious lazy ways. If everybody did this, then this would truly be a fabulous site to visit when looking for answers.

VISA INFORMATION Some countries require travelers to get special permission, called a "visa," before entering the country. A visa is an official stamp in your passport authorizing you to travel, work or study in that country for a specified length of time. Each country, through its embassies abroad, issues its own visas (if one is required). Is a visa necessary? If you are a US citizen traveling to most European countries as a tourist and will spend less than three months in any one country, you do not need any visas (if you are not a US citiczen, see "Attention International Students" below). Note: Russia and other countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union require visas. Some Eastern European countries limit stay to 30 days. Most Eastern European countries do not require visas for visits of 30 days or less. More information on foreign entry requirements for US citizens traveling on tourism/business can be found on the U.S. Department of State's website at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html. If you plan to study or work abroad, if you will be in any European country for more than three months, or if you are traveling to Asia, Africa, Latin America or to countries of the former Soviet Union, you should look into visa requirements. For information and for visa application forms, contact the consulate or embassy of your destination country (contact information for and links to foreign embassies in the U.S. can be found at http://www.embassy.org.