Brits warned over key passport change when travelling through Europe
Brits travelling to Schengen countries from next month will be subject to a new border security system which will include having fingerprints and facial biometrics taken.
The new digital border system, launched by the EU, is designed to help identify suspected criminals travelling in and out of the country, put a stop to identity fraud and to help EU countries police the 90 day stay limit for Brits and other nationalities.
The Entry-Exit System, or EES, will come into action from 12 October, replacing the current system of manually stamping passports.
Officials have warned it's 'highly likely' there will be longer airport queues as the new system gets going.
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EES will register the data of every traveller entering and exiting the Schengen area, which comprises of all EU countries except Ireland, plus Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.
Brits will also be required to provide proof of why they're visiting the country and how long they will be staying, in order to prove you will not be outstaying the 90 days per every 180 days rule.
Why does it apply to Brits?
British passport holders are classed as 'third country national' as negotiated by former prime minister Boris Johnson when we left the European Union.
The EES was previously being developed while the UK was still a member of the EU, meaning it was included in negotiation deals.
The new system was originally planned to begin in 2021, however the European Union Agency for the Operational Management, the body responsible for implementing the EES, has pushed it back on a number of occasions because the database has not been ready.
Lots of airports, ports and railway stations have already installed the expensive equipment ahead of a previous deadline set for November last year, however a full roll out will now not take place until April 2026.
On October 12, EES will launch across at least 10 percent of frontier posts, including the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and the Eurostar hub at London St Pancras, where checks will be conducted by French frontier police.
The biometric elements will not be mandatory for the first 60 days and passports will continue to be stamped.
By December of this year, 'member states should operate the entry-exit system – with biometric functionalities – at a minimum of half of their border crossing points,' which means Brits might face EES biometric checks and have to have their passport stamped too as the roll out continues.
However, by 9 April 2026, the roll out should be complete and the need to stamp passports in and out of Schengen countries should cease.
Emma Rosemurgey