From October 2025, UK travellers will see some adjustments once they arrive in EU nations together with Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal
UK travellers are being warned about main adjustments beginning later this yr in EU nations. Anybody heading to areas within the Schengen zone, together with in style vacation locations like Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Holland and Italy, shall be affected by these adjustments.
The EU plans to introduce an Entry/Exit system (EES). This can be a new digital border system that may change necessities for British nationals travelling to the Schengen space.
In case you are travelling to a rustic within the Schengen space utilizing a UK passport, you have to to register your biometric particulars, equivalent to fingerprints or a photograph, whenever you arrive. EES registration will substitute the present system of manually stamping passports when guests arrive within the EU.
The UK International Workplace says: “EES is predicted to start out in October 2025. It isn’t at present in operation. The European Union will inform concerning the particular begin date of the EES earlier than its launch.”
So what precisely will change for anybody going to the EU from the UK? And which nations will it apply to? We’ve summarised all the main points beneath.
In case you are travelling to the Schengen space
When EES is launched, you have to to create a digital file in your first go to to the Schengen space on the port or airport on arrival. You can be required to submit your fingerprints and have your picture taken at devoted cubicles.
You’ll not want to offer any data earlier than travelling to a Schengen space nation. In case you are flying to a rustic within the Schengen space, you could expertise longer queue instances whenever you arrive at your vacation spot.
At some ports and worldwide stations (Dover, Eurotunnel and St Pancras), there could also be elevated wait instances whereas EES registration is accomplished earlier than passengers depart the UK. In case you are travelling by way of certainly one of these stations, you need to test along with your journey operator to seek out out whether or not EES will have an effect on your journey.
Your digital file is legitimate for 3 years. If you happen to enter the Schengen space once more throughout this time, you’ll solely want to offer a fingerprint or picture on the border, whenever you enter and exit.
Which nations are within the Schengen space?
The nations within the Schengen space are:
- 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
What’s ETIAS and when will it begin?
Except for the Entry/Exit system, within the final quarter of 2026, the EU is predicted to start out operations of the brand new European Journey Data and Authorisation System (ETIAS). No motion is required from travellers at this level. The European Union will inform concerning the particular date for the beginning of ETIAS earlier than its launch.
When ETIAS is launched, you have to to use for authorisation to enter Schengen space nations if utilizing a UK passport. You will have to offer private data and particulars about your journey, and pay a 7 Euro charge, as a part of the authorisation course of. The EU has already set out extra data on ETIAS, together with what data shall be required from every nationality, on the EU’s official Travel Europe website.
