Brits have been warned to expect 'longer airport queues' as a result of a brand new travel system being brought in across most of Europe.
The update comes as UK passport holders have been told to prepare for new European visa rules that apply to them now that the UK is no longer a part of the European Union.
Those who don't abide by the new rules, known as an ETIAS visa waiver, could end up being banned from 29 countries across the EU.
A consequence of Brexit, the UK is a 'third country' in the eyes of the EU now, meaning those with UK passports have to follow rules and regulations they were exempt from before the 2016 referendum vote.
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What travel rules are coming in across Europe?
The warning over longer queues has been issued in relation to the Entry/Exit System, which is known as the EES.
A long-planned travel security system, the EES will subject UK passport holders and everyone else without an EU member state passport to biometric tests when entering the EU.
There is freedom of movement in 29 countries across the EU due to something known as the Schengen Area; a common agreement between the countries to have a soft border when it comes to migration and holidays.
It means that if you have a passport from the following countries, you can keep on travelling to any of them as you already do: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The UK had been on this list but because of Brexit, the EES means those with a UK passport will need to follow the new rules to get in to any of the 29 states.
As a result, new biometric scans mean an end to passport stamps with your time in the EU and Schengen Area tracked online. It means that if you break rules on spending more than 90 days within an 180-day period in the EU, the system will automatically flag you as breaking the terms of the travel agreement. One consequence of this is potentially being banned from the EU for a set period of time.
'Longer queues' warning explained
The EES has been delayed numerous times already due to member states not being ready for the new era of border control.
It had meant to go live on 10 November, 2024, but ongoing problems meant it was pushed back for what was a third time.
Part of the reason for this? A mobile app - dubbed 'QuickBorder' - that will be used by Brits to verify their ability to travel and enter the Schengen Area. It simply hadn't been ready for the end of 2024.
Now, the companies working with the EU's border agency Frontex have revealed the app is closing in on completion after trials in the Netherlands.
Security company Inverid has worked with Frontex as well as iProov, one of the world's leading companies in biometric face verification, to test the system ahead of lunch. The tests were dubbed 'very encouraging', Inverid said.
But speaking about the app, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Uku Särekanno said longer queues are 'highly likely' due to the extra data that is needed to be collected by every single person travelling through.
We're talking about the biometric scans on faces and fingers as well as information about individual travel plans.
He said: "There is some deficiency that needs to be addressed and this is how to make this journey for the travellers as pleasant as possible, keeping in mind that it's highly likely that there would be longer queues because people need to enrol with all this information at first place, when to enter, and how to make it simpler."
Do I have to use the app under the new travel rules?
The app isn't mandatory, so says Särekanno, with passengers and even countries under no obligation to sign up.
But is expected to be widely used to stop huge queues with non EU passport holders, with passport and ID checks done in advance via the app.
Speaking in the UK Parliament in October, John Keefe, chief corporate and public affairs officer of Eurotunnel parent Getlink, said the app and system will work smoother once enrolled, with the biggest issues being the enrolment period.
And given that all of the UK will have to enrol given its a new system, delays could be lengthy even if you've enrolled as others may be heading to the airport for the first time since the EES goes live. Whenever that is, anyway, given no date is set in stone after the last postponement. All we know is that 2025 is on the cards.
Topics: UK News, Europe, Travel, Holiday, Technology, World News
Tom Earnshaw