A new travel system that will affect Brits travelling to the EU is just months away – and it is set to bring delays when it starts.
The Entry/Exit System (EES), which was originally slated to be rolled out across EU and Schengen countries in 2022, is set to provide enhanced security measures by registering non-EU travellers each time they cross an EU border.
Doug Bannister, the chief executive of the Port of Dover, says that this system will be operational from November, although a specific date has yet to be announced.
Once live, the EES will replace manual passport stamping at entry and exit points with a digital process, requiring non-EU travellers to provide fingerprints and facial recognition data when crossing EU or Schengen borders.
This new procedure will apply to UK passport holders travelling to the EU via any mode of transport, including planes, trains, and ferries.
However, Ireland and Cyprus, which are part of the EU but not the Schengen border, will not enforce the EES according to Chronicle Live.
For travellers, the EES will operate similarly to visas. Initial registration upon the system’s launch is expected to be time-consuming, so travellers, especially those using busy routes like Dover ports and the Channel Tunnel, are advised to plan for additional congestion.
The initial process will involve non-EU citizens registering their fingerprints and facial biometrics at the border.
The biometric registration will be tied to your passport for three years, meaning you won’t need to repeat the registration in that time unless you get a new passport.
For travel authorities, this process should give a more accurate summary of who is entering, leaving or overstaying their welcome in certain countries, which could lead to tighter visa rules or stricter penalties for people who do stay too long.
In the Schengen area, visitors who are not EU or Schengen nationals are allowed to stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period. To stay any longer, people will need to apply for a visa.
The EES implementation had previously been delayed due to technical challenges and concerns from member states about its impact on border congestion.
To mitigate this congestion, an online pre-registration process is being worked on in the EU.
Following the multiple delays in the EES implementation, the European Commission says it will be enforced in a phased approach.
