TRAVEL to Europe is about to get trickier for British holidaymakers.
New rules coming into force later this year will require UK citizens travelling within the EU to comply with a new Entry/Exit System (EES).
On top of this, from next year British passport holders must also apply for a permit through the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
So what do you need to know?
Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski has the answers.
The Entry/Exit System will replace the need for a passport stamp by automatically checking when a person enters and exits a country in the EU.
Non-EU nationals will be required to register their details on their first visit to the Schengen area after the EES is implemented.
The IT system will rely on biometric data in the form of fingerprints and facial images, taken from non-EU passport holders.
As part of the EES, travellers will also need to scan their passport and answer four questions about their stay.
The measures have been put in place to ensure that Brits, as third-country nationals, do not exceed the permitted 90 days that are allowed within a 180-day period without a visa.
The consequences of overstaying will vary depending on each country, but individuals can use the EES online tool to make sure they don't exceed the 90-day limit.
The goal of the EES is to strengthen border security and reduce illegal migration.
By reliably identifying overstayers and people who have previously been refused entry, the EU hopes to achieve more effective border checks.
The system will use the biometric data collected to combat identity fraud and alert authorities to those travelling with fake documents.
It will also help to detect and investigate individuals linked to terrorist offences and other serious crimes who try to gain entry to the EU.
The EES was planned to go live on Sunday November 10, 2024, but this has been postponed with no new launch date announced.
The good news is you won’t need to prepare anything in advance.
On your first visit to a country within the EU after the EES is implemented, bar Cyprus and Ireland, you will have fingerprints and facial biometrics taken at your destination airport if travelling by air.
This process can be made quicker if you choose to register some of your data in advance, either by:
Those travelling by Eurostar, Eurotunnel or ferry will complete the procedure on UK soil ahead of departure.
The data is stored in the Biometric Matching Service for three years and every subsequent visit within those three years will only require visitors to submit one piece of biometric data (either fingerprint or facial image).
The three-year validity is reactivated every time you enter one of the EU countries until your passport is no longer valid.
You will be exempt from providing fingerprints if you are on a short-stay visa, as they will already be stored in the Visa Information System.
Children under the age of 12 will not need to have their fingerprints taken.
They will still need to be registered and have their photograph taken, however.
The Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System is a visa waiver that will be put in place across the EU for security purposes.
It will operate in a similar way to the US ESTA, and British passport holders who do not have a visa will have to apply ahead of travel.
There will be a €7 (£6) charge for anyone aged 18 to 70.
Those under 18 or older than 70 will not have to pay, but will still need to apply.
The ETIAS will be valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
The EU plans to introduce ETIAS from mid-2025, around six months after the launch of the EES.
An exact date is yet to be confirmed.
As it stands, those travelling from May next year will need to apply for an ETIAS.
However, the EU states there will be “a transitional period of at least six months”, meaning travellers within that grace period will not be refused entry if they don’t have an ETIAS.
Despite hopes that EES will improve efficiency at border control in the long run, it is likely to cause significant delays in the short-term.
The Association of Independent Tour Operators has expressed concern that many border controls are “simply not ready for the new processes”.
The industry body said: “With customer awareness of the scheme currently extremely low, long queues, along with some unavoidable chaos and confusion, are unfortunately likely.”
Fears are particularly centred on the Port of Dover which will be relying on a tablet system - this would take a considerable amount of time and risks major congestion and queues.
Concerns that equipment would not be in place in time for the November 10 launch caused the latest delay.
To ease the transition, the Department for Transport has pledged £10.5million to help the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel and Eurostar prepare.
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