British travellers have been warned to expect longer border checks when visiting Europe after the European Union’s Entry/Exit System went live.
After “many delays”, said The Guardian, EES went live on 12 October, meaning travellers from non-EU countries “will have to be photographed and have their fingerprints scanned before they are allowed into Europe’s Schengen area”.
The aim is to “bolster border security” and spot travellers who overstay their permitted time in the Schengen area, said EuroNews, which is 90 days within a 180-day period.
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It is being phased in over the next six months, said the UK government, “meaning different ports may have varying requirements until April 2026”.
The checks are expected to take only around two minutes, but could lead to longer waiting times at border control when travellers arrive in the Schengen area.
What is the EES?
EES is the IT system for registering non-EU nationals “travelling for a short stay”, said the EU. The aim is to eventually create a digital system that records when travellers enter and exit, “making border checks faster and helping staff to work more efficiently”.
Visitors from outside the Schengen zone will need to register a picture of themselves and their fingerprints at a self-service terminal when visiting a participating country.
The “good news”, said The Independent, is that passport stamping will “eventually end” but it will continue throughout the EES roll-out and the process of providing the fingerprinting and facial data “is likely to prove slower and more onerous”.
Who has to follow the EES rules?
British passport holders and other third-country nationals will need to register on their first visit to a Schengen country where EES checks are operating. Children under 12 will not be fingerprinted but all travellers, including babies, will be photographed and have digital records created.
The checks may be done with a border officer or at an automated machine, “depending on where people travel to”, said the BBC.
Flight passengers will register at their destination airport, but checks will occur in the UK for travellers crossing the English Channel by ferry from Dover, taking the Eurotunnel shuttle to France, or getting the Eurostar train.
The machines will scan each passport and take fingerprints as well as a photo. There will be four questions to answer about your trip, “such as confirming where you will be staying and that you have enough money”. Each member state can set their own criteria for how much money a traveller must have.
Plus, while EES itself does not make travel insurance mandatory, said the Association of British Insurers, “border officials or EES kiosks may inquire about it” and some countries, such as France, may require proof of adequate medical coverage for entry.
Registration is valid for a rolling three-year period or until a passport expires.
What is next for EU border checks?
EES will be followed by the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme visa waiver, said EuroNews, with another transitional grace period of at least six months, “meaning it won’t be mandatory until 2027”.
Once introduced, ETIAS will cost €7 (£6) per person, which is cheaper than the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
Travellers aged under 18 and over 70 won’t need to pay the fee, said The Times, “but will still need to apply”.
How will ETIAS work?
Visitors will need to complete an online application form on the official ETIAS website or app and upload a photo of their passport.
Travellers will need to provide passport information and respond to “background questions”, about criminal records and medical conditions, said the BBC.
The visa waiver will last for three years or until your passport expires, if sooner, and allows an “unlimited number of visits”.
Watch out for scams, though, warned The Times. Websites offering information and forms have already appeared, but the official website is “the most reliable resource to use”.
This isn’t a punishment for Brexit, added The Independent. The UK asked to be subject to “all the extra red tape that everyone already knew was on the horizon” so “Brussels is delivering exactly what we asked for”.
