What will the EU’s new entry-exit system mean for British travellers?

After the UK voted to leave the European Union, Boris Johnson’s government negotiated for British travellers to become “third-country nationals subject to a range of restrictions. British passport holders must now have their travel documents inspected and stamped . The next step, set to be introduced on 10 November 2024, will involve more red tape .

The European Union will launch an “entry-exit system” (EES) that will record the movements of non-EU visitors to the Schengen Area (comprising all EU nations except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). The good news: passport stamping will end. The bad news: every traveller must, in theory at least, be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric.

Assuming the introduction of EES goes smoothly, six months later – in May 2025, according the latest plan – the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) will be launched. This next step in tightening frontier controls is a online permit system similar to the US Esta scheme, but cheaper at €7 (£6) and valid for longer: three years. But even though Etias is planned to start in May 2025, a six-month grace period will be granted – so it will not be mandatory for prospective UK visitors to apply online for permission to enter the Schengen Area until November 2025 at the earliest.

EES is an automated Schengen Area IT system for registering citizens from outside the zone and the EU. The system is aimed at such travellers when th.