(MENAFN- Live Mint) As 2025 kicks in, the usual travel documents you use while flying can be rendered useless! This is due to new travel restrictions that will be enacted this year.

What is a Real ID?

A report by Gothamist noted that from May this year, travellers will be required to use a Real ID-or an appropriate alternative, like a passport-to take domestic flights or enter some government buildings.

Implementation of the updated identification requirement was long overdue, but it was repeatedly postponed due to the pandemic.

Real ID in New York is denoted with a star or flag, as the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles defines.

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'A license without one of those symbols is not a Real ID and therefore will not be a valid form of identification at airports.'

What are ETA and ETIAS that are now required to enter UK and Europe

Meanwhile, Americans travelling to the UK from 8 January are required to first register with the Electronic Travel Authorization program before entering the country.

Visitors from outside the UK and Ireland staying for up to six months for business or study must apply for an ETA. The permit costs around $13 and remains valid for two years.

Seema Malhotra, the minister for Migration and Citizenship of the United Kingdom, said in a statement.“The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhancing security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system.”

Similarly, starting in May, travellers must apply for entry to Europe through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) after several delays. The application costs around $7, but approval may take days or even weeks.

Check passport rules:

According to the official website, the ETIAS application requires personal information such as name, birthday, contact info, education level, details of travel, and more. Travellers will also be required to have a valid travel document, such as a passport, which cannot expire in less than three months or be older than a decade.

Once approved, it is valid for up to three years or passport expiration, whichever is first.

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Travellers can be denied plane boarding due to nearly expired documents.

“Unfortunately, many travellers are not aware of passport requirements and have to cancel plans or may even arrive at the airport and be denied boarding,” travel adviser Sara Russell told Fox News.

(With inputs from the New York Post and Fox News)

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