The UK Foreign Office has issued an alert to UK tourists visiting France from October this year amid a change in European Union (EU) travel rules. A new Entry/Exit System (EES) is expected to start in October 2025 which will require British holidaymakers to register their fingerprints and a facial photo on arrival. The system applies to non-EU nationals visiting 29 countries in the Schengen Area , including popular tourist destinations like France , Spain, Portugal and Greece.
The system was delayed in 2024 but is due to take effect later this year and will replace the current system of manually stamping passports with biometric data instead. The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice for France on March 17, 2025, warning UK tourists that the system is now expected to kick in from October. It said: “The EU plans to introduce the Entry/Exit system (EES).
This is a new digital border system that will change requirements for British nationals travelling to the Schengen area. “If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area using a UK passport, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints or a photo, when you arrive. EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.
“EES is expected to start in October 2025. It is not currently in operation. The European Union will inform about the specific start date of the EES before its launch.
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