An settlement has been reached between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) permitting UK passport holders to make use of eGates at most airports in Europe, a measure meant to considerably ease travelling from throughout the Channel.
Since Brexit, UK residents misplaced their privileged standing when travelling to the EU. What have been as soon as cursory ID checks, typically carried out by bored-looking border officers, have change into full-blown border checks with passport stamps, elevated scrutiny, stress… and sometimes infinite queues. The latter have change into even worse and extra burdensome with the worldwide surge in air journey. Delays of as much as an hour at the moment are frequent at main airports, inflicting passengers to overlook their flights.
“Journey is about to get considerably smoother for UK residents. Beneath the brand new settlement, they are going to as soon as once more have the ability to use eGates at many European airports, a facility sometimes reserved for EU, EEA and choose third-country nationals.
As a substitute of ready in lengthy queues at passport management, Brits travelling to Europe will now have the ability to use e-Gates.
So you can begin your vacation sooner. pic.twitter.com/O7JuXbqdfP
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 19, 2025
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK’s shadow minister for EU relations, welcomed the announcement, presenting it as a manner of giving British travellers ‘extra time to spend on vacation or work journeys […] doing what you need, not being caught in queues.’
Some EU international locations, resembling Portugal and Spain, the place British travellers make up round 40% of worldwide arrivals, have by no means stopped permitting UK passport holders to make use of their eGates.
The announcement got here on Monday from UK officers, who confirmed that ‘British holidaymakers will have the ability to use extra eGates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border management. Pets may even have the ability to journey extra simply.’
Nevertheless, because the Monetary Instances notes, the transfer has been within the pipeline for a while and would in all probability have occurred no matter Monday’s deal. Certainly, it dovetails with wider EU border reform.
Historic day.
After months of negotiations, I can announce that the Labour Authorities has secured a brand new settlement with the EU.
🇬🇧Good for jobs
🇬🇧Good for payments
🇬🇧Good for borders
And extra…Britain again on the world stage, with a Authorities within the service of working individuals.
— Nick Thomas-Symonds (@NickTorfaen) May 19, 2025
From October, the EU is predicted to roll out a brand new Entry/Exit System (EES) that can exchange handbook passport stamps with biometric registration. Travellers’ fingerprints and a facial picture will likely be saved in a database for as much as three years. As soon as the system is in place, EU member states will likely be allowed to permit third-country nationals – resembling British residents – to make use of eGates if they need. An actual implementation date has but to be confirmed, however UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ‘has referred to as on all EU international locations to cooperate’, in keeping with the BBC.
The settlement additionally introduces a brand new pet journey association. A simplified pet passport system will take away the necessity for a separate animal well being certificates for every journey, making it simpler to journey with cats and canines from the UK to the EU.
Nevertheless, present guidelines will stay in place for EU residents travelling to the UK.
Overwhelming help from a spread of companies from supermarkets to the vitality sector, outlining that our plans would assist convey payments down.
This Labour Authorities is on the facet of working individuals – taking pragmatic choices within the nationwide curiosity, not based mostly on ideology. https://t.co/L1URvx7rPE
— Nick Thomas-Symonds (@NickTorfaen) May 19, 2025
Some airports plan to open present EU eGates to UK travellers, whereas others will set up new ‘third nation nationwide’ eGates to accommodate the change.
Because it stands, UK passport holders can journey visa-free to any EU nation for as much as 90 days in any 180-day interval.
With 27 international locations, the EU stays an necessary marketplace for UK aviation. In keeping with aviation analysts Cirium, there are greater than 107,000 UK-EU flights scheduled this month alone. British Airways accounts for 15,192 of those – barely over 55% of its total flights this month.
