After the UK voted to leave the European Union and the 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 steps, which are likely to be introduced in autumn 2024, will involve more red tape. The good news: passport stamping will end. The bad news: every traveller must be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric.
The European Union is planning to introduce an “Entry/Exit System” (EES) that will record the movements of non-EU visitors. Shortly afterwards – in mid 2025, according the latest plan – prospective UK visitors to the Schengen area will have to apply online for permission to enter.
The Schengen area comprises most of the 27 remaining members of the European Union (but not Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland or Romania), plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is the next step in tightening frontier controls. It depends upon EES being fully functional and is due to appear in mid-2025.
When it is introduced, the €7 (£6) online permit will be valid for three years.
What is the “Entry/Exit System”?
The Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system for registering citizens from “third countries”, which means everywhere outside the EU and Schengen area.
The system is aimed at such travellers when they either enter or leave at an external Schengen border – such as flying from the UK to Spain or crossing by road from Greece to Turkey. (It will not be used for internal frontiers within the Schengen area.)
EES will register the date and place of entry or exit, plus fingerprints and a facial biometric.
This system, says the European Union, “will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings, and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers”.
British travellers, like other “third-country nationals,” are restricted to 90 days’ stay in any 180 days within the Schengen area. But enforcement of this currently depends on checking passport stamps and is applied haphazardly.
The new system will not apply in Ireland or Cyprus
When will it start?
Originally EES was due…
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