Here's what EU's new entry-exit system means for British travellers

British nationals whitethorn look longer waits astatine borderline power erstwhile visiting a fig of EU countries acknowledgment to a caller integer strategy that is being introduced adjacent week.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) volition beryllium gradually rolled retired crossed Europe implicit six months from Sunday 12 October.

It volition spot the manual stamping of passports scrapped successful favour of non-EU citizens registering their biometric details, specified arsenic fingerprints and a photo, automating the process of registering travellers' entries and exits.

But which countries volition it use to, however volition it enactment and wherefore is it being introduced?

Which countries volition person the Entry/Exit System?

It volition use to 25 EU countries successful the Schengen country and 4 different countries successful the aforesaid region, but which are not portion of the EU.

Here's the afloat list:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Manual passport stamping volition proceed to beryllium utilized successful Ireland and Cyprus.

Who does it use to?

The strategy applies if you are a non-EU national, including from the UK, who is travelling to an EU state for a abbreviated stay, which means up to 90 days wrong a 180-day period.

Children nether the property of 12 volition beryllium exempt from giving fingerprints, but they volition inactive request to person their faces scanned for the system.

There are exemptions which are listed here.

How volition it work?

The EES volition registry the person's name, benignant of question document, biometric information - fingerprints and captured facial images - and the day and spot of introduction and exit.

When you archetypal sojourn 1 of the listed countries aft the EES is adopted, you volition request to registry your details astatine an automated kiosk.

In mean circumstances, you volition implicit the EES checks erstwhile you get astatine your destination airdrome oregon larboard successful a purpose-built booth.

However, if you participate 1 of the countries done the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel astatine Folkestone oregon St Pancras International, EES checks volition beryllium completed astatine the borderline earlier you permission the UK. EES kiosks person been installed specifically for this purpose.

This volition mean passengers volition person to get retired of their cars to registry astatine the Eurotunnel terminal and the Port of Dover. The second volition person an EES processing tract astatine the Western docks.

You bash not request to instrumentality immoderate enactment earlier arriving astatine the border, and determination is nary outgo for EES registration.

Your integer EES grounds volition beryllium valid for 3 years earlier it has to beryllium renewed.

If you participate the Schengen country again during this time, you volition lone request to supply a fingerprint oregon photograph astatine the border, erstwhile you participate and exit.

During the archetypal rollout, manual stamping of passports is acceptable to continue, but the strategy is expected to wholly regenerate it from 10 April 2026.

Could determination beryllium longer queues?

The authorities has warned that determination whitethorn beryllium longer waiting times than accustomed astatine the borderline erstwhile the strategy starts, arsenic it volition instrumentality each rider an other infinitesimal oregon 2 to articulation the EES.

Naomi Leach, lawman exertion of Which? Travel, told Sky News that travellers should let much clip for their journeys connected the different broadside if they are flying.

"It is worthy booking aboriginal transfers, car prosecute oregon different onward travel," she suggested.

Though countries are obliged to get going with the caller strategy from Sunday, they person six months to implicit the rollout.

It is hoped that this, mixed with the information the rollout is not starting during highest travelling seasons, volition assistance bounds the interaction connected passengers.

The Independent's question exertion Simon Calder told Sky News that passengers should inactive expect longer queues erstwhile they scope their destinations, but that it volition apt alteration depending connected wherever they are going.

He said: "I've contacted each 29 of the nations progressive and immoderate of them, specifically the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, accidental they'll beryllium acceptable from time one, everybody travelling successful and retired is going to beryllium checked.

"But successful Spain, for instance, they accidental they're going to cheque precisely 1 formation coming into Madrid airdrome and aft that they're going to rotation things retired gradually astatine the planetary airports, past the roads crossings, past the seaports."

Mr Calder has been told that Dusseldorf volition beryllium the starting constituent successful Germany.

He besides said countries tin mostly intermission the implementation astatine assorted points if waiting times turn excessively long.

Concerns implicit delays astatine ports

The Port of Dover, Eurotunnel astatine Folkestone oregon St Pancras International volition beryllium gradually rolling retired the EES.

Only drivers and passengers connected coaches and freight are expected to articulation the EES initially astatine Dover and Folkestone, portion the Eurostar says determination volition beryllium "minimal changes" astatine St Pancras to commencement with.

But immoderate concerns were raised erstwhile the Port of Dover said it would instrumentality up to six minutes per conveyance for EES registration - up from the 30 to 60 seconds it takes for a car to get done the borderline without the EES.

But Port of Dover CEO Doug Bannister said helium was assured a £40m concern successful caller infrastructure would wage off.

"We person purposely designed these facilities to grip our highest measurement days [in the summer]... whilst ensuring that determination is nary queuing oregon congestion connected the outer roadworthy network," helium said.

He said the EU has besides allowed for alleged "precautionary measures" during the archetypal six months station afloat cognition of EES, adding: "What that volition let america to bash is dial backmost connected the process if we person to, if the postulation volumes are going to beryllium larger than we anticipated."

A spokesperson for the authorities said: "While we person done everything we tin to guarantee the required infrastructure is successful place, anyone who is readying a travel to the European mainland erstwhile these checks are introduced volition inactive request to let much clip for their travel arsenic the caller EU systems furniture in."

What happens to your data?

The European Commission says the information being collected erstwhile you usage the EES is:

• The accusation listed successful your question document(s) (e.g. afloat name, day of birth, etc.)
• Date and spot of each introduction and exit
• Facial representation and fingerprints
• Whether you were refused entry

This information volition beryllium stored successful the strategy and cannot beryllium transferred to 3rd parties - but successful circumstantial cases, which you tin work astir here.

Your information volition beryllium utilized by countries for respective reasons, including identifying travellers who aren't allowed to enter, uncovering those utilizing fake identities, and helping to forestall and analyse superior crimes.

If you garbage to supply your biometric data, you volition beryllium denied entry.

Why is it being implemented?

The EU says the caller strategy is aimed astatine making respective improvements to the manual stamping system, which the European Commission views arsenic time-consuming and unreliable successful providing information connected borderline crossings.

It says the EES volition marque borderline checks much modern, efficient, easier and faster. It says that erstwhile they are registered, travellers volition walk little clip astatine the borderline acknowledgment to faster checks.

It is besides aimed astatine preventing amerciable migration. It says the EES volition assistance way who comes successful and retired of the Schengen countries amended than the aged system, utilizing fingerprint and look information to halt radical from overstaying, utilizing fake identities oregon misusing visa-free travel.

It besides says the EES volition summation information successful the countries, giving the authorities entree to important traveller accusation and helping them to spot information risks and enactment the combat against superior crimes and terrorism.