After numerous delays, the European Union’s new entry/exit system (EES) will finally be introduced on Sunday 12 October. The new system will require facial biometrics and fingerprints to be taken from all non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area. Thanks directly to Brexit, that includes British tourists.
What is EES and what does it mean for travellers?
The new system – which has been labelled by the European Commission as the “most modern digital border management system in the world” – will replace passport stamping with facial recognition technology and fingerprint ID. Travellers will also need to provide personal details such as their name, date of birth, travel plans and proof of accommodation.
The collected data – which will be valid for three years – will be used to monitor the 90-day-in-180 stay limit, and for the identification of criminals and terrorists. It will also provide a record of a user’s history of travel and allow for checks against security databases held by Interpol and the Schengen Information System.
EES will be phased in over a six-month period, with different ports of entry starting the process at different times. It will apply in 29 countries in the Schengen area, including Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, even though they are not part of the European Union. The system will be fully operational from 10 April 2026.
Later in 2026, the EES system will be joined by the European travel information and authorization system (ETIAS) – a new visa requirement – at a cost of 20 Euros for three years’ travel. Under-18s and over-70s will be exempt from the fee.
What British tourists can expect
Dedicated booths are being/have been installed at airports, train stations and ports to allow for the scanning of fingerprints and the taking of photos. The necessary questions that travellers will be asked will usually be done at automated kiosks. However, if the traveller is unable to answer correctly, they would then be referred to a border officer for further checks. Travel experts, such as Luke Petherbridge of ABTA, believes “more people are going to be asked these questions in the future than were in the past”, though he stressed that did not necessarily mean entry would be denied.
The UK government has been “working closely” with the European Commission, member states, local authorities and the travel industry to prepare ports for EES. Facilities at Dover, St. Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel will benefit from £10.5mn in extra governmental support. That support – at the only three ports where the French border is sited on UK soil – will ensure “EES registration is simple for anyone travelling to the Schengen area”. However, the government is warning travellers to “be prepared to wait during busy times”.
Of course, the new EES will not just apply to tourists. The RHA – the largest dedicated trade association in the UK for HGV and LGV vehicles – is so concerned about the impact of the forthcoming changes that it is calling for a professional drivers’ exemption.
What Britons resident in EU can expect
While Britons living in the EU have been assured they will be exempt from facial biometrics and finger printing requirements, there are still many unanswered questions.
Following the UK-EU summit in May, and the prime minister’s ‘reset’, an announcement was made that British citizens would be able to use e-gates on entry to the EU. Apart from a similar announcement in July, regarding e-gates in Germany, there has been little or no further news on the subject. Until we hear any different, it would be best for British tourists, and British residents of the EU, to assume we’ll be joining long queues along with all other third country nationals.
Further complications for British residents in Spain
As for those of us living in Spain – the most popular EU country for Britons migrating to Europe – the process is complicated by the fact that we must all now have biometric residency documentation. Of over 400,000 Britons living in Spain, the Spanish authorities estimate that as many as 100,000 Brits do not yet have the necessary documentation, even those that are legally resident.
Those with the older paper residency certification must now make an appointment with the local Foreigners’ Office to switch to a biometric card (TIE) as proof of residency. Failure to do so could result in being prevented from boarding a plane or ferry when returning to Spain, or even being refused entry into the country.
To complicate matters further, it is now more than five years since the last pre-Brexit influx of UK migrants, whose temporary residence now needs replacing with a permanent one. As a result, there are now two distinct groups of British citizens in Spain searching desperately for appointments before 12 October. With available appointments in the most populated areas as rare as hen’s teeth, it looks like we’re all going to have to put up with queueing for some time yet. Thanks, Brexit!
