Faster and More Efficient Journeys for Britons Travelling to Europe Soon

When travelling from the UK to the EU, what gates do you use at the airport? Well! That will change soon. UK holidaymakers will soon be using e-gates when entering the EU.

As of now, swift checking machines are available for British passport holders when entering the bloc. Rishi Sunak, British PM, urged diplomats to raise an issue for the same. As per Bloomberg’s report, Mr Sunak will discuss this topic with Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission in June.

On successful application, it will enable British travellers to go through the travel process quickly and more efficiently.

Complications increased for British passport holders while travelling to the bloc as Brexit introduced new requirements for them. For instance, passports were required to be valid for a minimum of three months on the date of travel. And this requirement might not change soon.

However, there’s a possibility of putting e-gates to use for UK passport holders. This step might lead to warmer relations between Brussels and London.

Official spokesperson to Mr Sunak spoke to Bloomberg, stating, “We are working closely with the European Commission and member states to understand the impacts of the introduction of the entry-exit system for British citizens, and our priority is always to minimise unnecessary delays for British passengers.”

Although this step would fasten the border queues at the airport, it won’t speed up crossing checks at Folkestone and Dover. There, a physical stamp check by French police would still be in practice to ensure the length of stay requirements are met.

From 2024, things will change for third-country nationals in addition to the Brits in terms of how they enter the EU. On their first trip, all non-EU nationals will get their passports scanned as well as fingerprints and photos taken. This data will stay in the system for five years.

The design of the new system, dubbed Entry/Exit System (EES), will enable measuring and controlling how long tourists stay in the Schengen area. Aimed at travellers from the UK and other third countries, the system is a move towards check-point digitisation.

It comprises replacing manual passport stamping with passport-reading machines installed at the Schengen area’s external points.

Using automated self-service kiosks installed at such points, travellers will scan their passports and required documents before entering.