Recent reports by Co-op Insurance claim that nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK adults aren’t aware of the European Union’s new entry-exit system (EES) due to launch in October this year.
The EES is “an automated IT system” that will automatically register travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries, using biometric checks when they cross external EU borders. Currently, it is scheduled to start operating in autumn 2024 after multiple delays.
The system will replace the current passport stamping by registering a person’s information – including name, travel document type and biometric information, such as fingerprints and facial images.
The EES will also record if a traveller has been refused entry before or has overstayed their welcome in the bloc.
Over the next 12 to 18 months a raft of new European border rules are set to come into effect, changing the way third-country nationals including UK passport holders travel to 30 countries.
These include the entry-exit scheme (EES), a biometric border check, as well as the related ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) – a US ESTA-style visa waiver.
All these changes will impact British travellers as the UK.
Not all European Union members will adopt the EES system as it only applies to countries in the Schengen area. Ireland and Cyprus, for example, will not be involved.
Here’s a full list of participants: 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 and Switzerland.
Other exceptions include nationals from the likes of Monaco, Andorra, Ireland, San Marino and the Vatican as well as stateless people and holders of a residence permit issued by an ETIAS-requiring country.
The Advantage Travel Partnership CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said has warned holidaymakers against the rise in fake ETIAS websites, calling on the EU to launch a “strong public awareness campaign” to help tourists not fall prey to scammers.
She said: “There is only one official ETIAS website for travellers to use and although the website is already operating it will not allow people to apply as the scheme has been pushed back to 2025”.
