The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a new alert for all European Union (EU) countries.
On March 17, the FCDO updated its travel advice for Spain, Greece, Italy and other EU nations. The update reads: “The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is expected to start in October 2025. It is not currently in operation. The European Union will inform about the specific start date of the EES before its launch.”
This alert provides more clarity on when the EES, or Entry/Exit System, is set to be implemented. This automated IT system is designed to register third-country travellers – both those with short-stay visas and visa-exempt individuals – each time they cross an EU external border.
There have been growing concerns over potential delays due to the upcoming launch of the EU’s new EES.
The new system will replace the current practice of manually stamping passports, a process which the European Commission’s website describes as “which is time consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers”, reports the Mirror.
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For Britons, this means that anyone travelling to a Schengen area country using a UK passport will need to provide biometric details, such as fingerprints or a photo, upon their initial arrival.
How does the EES work?
The new system will collect your personal details, fingerprints, facial images, and travel documents. It will then record the date and location of your entry and exit, any stays up to a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period, and any instances of entry refusal.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is set to replace the traditional passport stamp. The EES will apply to all non-EU nationals, both those requiring visas and visa-exempt travellers, within the Schengen area.
Your personal data will be used by authorities in member states, including border guards and consular officers handling visas. Law enforcement authorities within member states and Europol will also have extended access to the data stored in the EES for criminal identification and intelligence purposes.
Upon crossing the border, you’ll proceed to a self-service kiosk where your details, identity, fingerprints and documents will be verified against security databases, followed by an interaction with a border guard. A traveller’s digital record will remain valid for three years.
During this period, those re-entering the Schengen area will only need to provide their fingerprints and a photo at the border upon entry and exit.
Why is there a change in the system?
The European Commission has put forward the EES as part of a drive to modernise how borders are managed. The goal is to improve the quality of border controls within the Schengen Area, bolster internal security, fight terrorism and serious crime, systematically identify individuals overstaying their visas, and help member states manage the increasing number of travellers to the EU without needing to increase the number of border guards.
What’s the expected outcome?
The EES is expected to provide quick and automated information to border officials during checks, including the denial of entry for non-EU nationals. It will also facilitate electronic verification of entry refusals in the EES, offer detailed guidance to travellers on the maximum duration of their authorised stay, identify individuals overstaying their permitted period, and provide evidence-based support to visa policy.
For law enforcement purposes, the EES aims to assist in identifying terrorists, criminals, suspects, and even victims of crime. Additionally, it will keep a record of travel histories of non-EU nationals, including crime suspects, perpetrators, or victims.
So, what does this mean for Brits?
Once the new rules are in place, Brits will need to submit personal details, including facial images and fingerprints, when they first enter a Schengen area country. For the next three years, each time they enter or leave a Schengen country, they’ll need to provide fingerprints and a photo at the border.
The UK Government is working hand-in-hand with ports and carriers to make sure the EES registration process is as easy as possible for anyone travelling to the Schengen area. This includes giving £3.5 million each to Eurostar, Eurotunnel, and the Port of Dover.
Eurostar expects the EES registration to be quick and hassle-free, with plans to set up 50 kiosks across three locations for travellers to complete the necessary checks.
Eurotunnel is planning to install over 100 kiosks, predicting that EES checks will only extend journey times by just over five minutes. Meanwhile, the Port of Dover has plans for 24 kiosks dedicated to coach passengers, with car passengers being registered via agents and tablets.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/foreign-office-warn-travellers-over-31225905
