Foreign Office issues airport warning for Brits over huge passport rule change that’s just weeks away

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office has issued fresh guidance to everyone with a British Passport and it doesn't spell good news for waiting times.

And the reason for it? It's all to do with a brand new change to how Brits enter and exit dozens of countries.

The European Union, which the UK was a part of until voting for Brexit and choosing to leave, is behind the rule change that is set to come in to force in just a few weeks time.

What is changing for British passport holders?

Nothing is changing in the UK, it's all to do with rule changes across the English Channel as the EU finally brings in its revolutionary new passport control system.

Dubbed the Entry / Exit System, or EES, the EU will be changing how anyone without an EU passport (that includes Brits due to Brexit) gets in and out of EU member states.

The EES has been mentioned for years at this point, with it finally coming in to play from November 2024 across the EU.

So if you're travelling to any of 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, or Switzerland, you'll need to take note.

Passport control is changing across the EU (Getty Stock Images)

What will the Entry / Exit System (EES) means for Brits?

The EES changes how UK passport holders get in and out of the EU.

It means we'll say goodbye to passport stamps. Instead, we'll have fingerprint scans and getting your photo taken upon entry and exit from an EU nation state.

Why is this changing? Well, it's to stop non-EU citizens from overstaying their welcome in the EU; something officially known as the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule.

Under this rule, people who aren't citizens of an EU country can stay for up to 90 days within any 180 days. But you cannot stay a day longer; doing so risks punishment for doing so.

Breaking this rule could see yourself banned from the entire EU for a period of up to three years.

UK passport holders will have to follow the new EES rules (Getty Stock Images)

UK Foreign Office's EES warning

Due to the changes being pretty massive across dozens of countries and impacting millions of people going in and out of EU countries, the Foreign Office has told Brits what they can expect.

And there is probably little surprise that the advice includes telling Brits to expect delays.

On the UK government website, it reads: "From November 2024, you'll get your fingerprints and photo taken when entering the Schengen area. You'll get either your fingerprints or photo taken when you leave. You will not get a stamp in your passport.

"Queues at borders may be longer when these changes begin. If you enter the Schengen area through Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or St Pancras International, your fingerprints and photo will be taken before you leave the UK."

It adds: "Check the entry requirements of the country you're visiting to find out what you can and cannot do during your stay."