How major UK passport change will revolutionise travelling abroad
Passports as we know them are about to change forever in a new revolutionary way that should, in theory, make things easier for Brits when heading overseas.
As it stands, travelling out of the country requires those with a UK passport to get their passport physically checked before heading through security checks.
Once in your destination of choice, the same applies at border control where Brits are given a stamp in their passport.
Well, things are changing in many ways on this front, one of which is regarding the physical passport itself.
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Travel changes
Ahead of passport changes is a raft of changes coming in across the European Union in 2025 that will impact how Brits go in and out of the UK.
Anyone heading to one of 29 European countries will have to follow the new guidance - don't do this and you wont get in.
As of 1 May, Brits will need a European Travel Information and Authorisation System visa waiver, which is often described as an ETIAS visa waiver.
It's something that is going to be needed to get in to any of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Costing €7 (£6), the ETIAS visa waiver allows Brits to travel across the 29 countries for a maximum period of 90 days. It lasts for three years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first).
To go alongside this, the EU is expected to introduce its long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES) some time later this year. As of now, no date has been issued after the project was delayed once again last October.
Once in place, the EES will make UK passport holders - and everyone else without an EU passport - conduct biometric tests when entering the EU.
The EES will then automatically track the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule, which allows you to spend 90 days in the EU within any 180-day period.
Overstay your welcome and you could end up being banned from entering the EU for a number of years.
What are the new passport changes?
Alongside travelling out of the UK and in to the EU and Schengen Area, the UK government is changing how the British passport works.
Say hello to the GOV.UK Wallet and App.
It is set to be introduced in the summer of 2025 and will, the government says, give us a simplified access to government-issued services and documents - such as a digital driver’s licences or a passport.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle explained the passport option and explained how it would work in reality.
"The key function you want from the passport is being able to travel with it without constantly being worried you forgot your passport," he told The Times.
He continued: "But it's not dependent on Britain, it depends on the country you're travelling to. So we're keeping a close eye on international standards.
"When those standards become clearer, then, of course, you have a Government that would aspire to be able to benefit from it as much as possible."
The wallet and app should be ready for all credentials come 2027. That would include a birth certificate, national insurance number, power of attorney, marriage and DBS certificates.
It means that very soon, making sure your battery has enough power to get through security check is going to be the new 'passports? check'.
Just don't lose your phone either.
Topics: Travel, Technology, UK News, Europe, Phones, Holiday, World News
Tom Earnshaw