Brits warned to check EU travel records after author told she could face two-year ban
Holidaymakers are being urged to check their EU travel records before their next trip after bestselling author Jojo Moyes was warned she could face a two-year ban because of a border control error.
The Me Before You writer, 57, revealed that her departure from Portugal had not been recorded on the system, making it appear she had overstayed her permitted time in Europe.
According to a Which? investigation, dozens of British travellers have reported similar problems with the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES).
Moyes said she was stopped at Marseille airport in October after a five-day holiday in France, despite spending just 23 days in Europe during the previous six months.
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She found out that her departure from Portugal in May had not been logged.
“The clock had been ticking ever since. Under Brexit rules, I was now an overstayer,” she explained to Which?.
“The border control senior officer at Marseille warned me that I should not attempt to re-enter Europe until it is sorted out, or face a €10,000 fine and a two-year ban.”
The author, who owns a home in France, has since struggled to correct her travel records.
“In the last two weeks I have tried every possible avenue, and feel like I’ve made very little progress at all,” she said.
“I have now engaged an immigration lawyer - one of the few I’ve contacted who knows about this situation - but not everyone is lucky enough to be able to afford this remedy.”
She added: “I have no idea how much time they think I have spent in Europe, and no idea whether I am safe to travel.”
LADbible Group has contacted the European Commission for comment.
How to check your EU travel records
British passport holders who have visited the Schengen area since April should check their status using the EU's online Check How Long You Can Stay tool.
Most British visitors can spend up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period.
Anyone finding missing departures or incorrect information should contact the relevant national data controller through the EU's Data Protection page.
Requests should include a passport copy, boarding passes or other evidence of departure, alongside an explanation of the mistake.
Travellers should retain flight confirmations to help challenge inaccurate records before travelling again.
The European Commission says on their website that 'the EES applies to you if you are a non-EU national travelling for a short stay to a European country using the EES'.
"If you overstay the period allowed in the European countries using the EES, the system will identify you and record this information," it added.
"In the event that the authorities refuse you entry, the system will also record this information."
Anish Vij
