Know How 2023 will Change Holidaying in Europe

Since Brexit, Britons (travellers with UK passports) visiting Schengen or EU countries are considered third-country nationals. 2023 will mark the completion of two years to the end of the Brexit transition period. This will bring two major changes for travellers with UK passports visiting the continent.

The first one is the Entry/Exit System (EES), which will be into effect by May end according to the European Commission. The EES will come into effect, replacing the manual stamping process used for non-EU citizens during their arrival and departure. The new system will record biometrics (fingerprints) and photographs of UK passport holders and other third-country nationals at the border.

These new checks will be in place across entry points at ferry ports and airports. Introducing EES will significantly enhance the processing times across borders, according to a statement from the Director of Public Affairs, ABTA, Luke Petherbridge in December. He made a statement while delivering a speech about how the UK’s exit from the EU has impacted travel at the House of Lords European Affairs Committee.

Introducing the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) will be the other major administrative change. This is likely to be implemented by November 2023. With this change, all the third-country nationals will need ETIAS to enter the 30 countries within the EU or Schengen area.

This system will replace the currently active, time-consuming process of manual stamping for third-country nationals. Since Brexit, UK citizens are considered third-country nationals and need their passports stamped while entering and exiting the EU area.

UK travellers can stay within the EU region for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days without needing a visa. Passport stamps are a parameter for compliance checks with this rule.

According to the European Commission, “Passport stamping is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow the detection of overstayers or address cases of loss or destruction of travelling documents. The travel documents of all third-country nationals need to be systematically stamped upon entry and exit into the Schengen area (unless they hold an EU residence permit).”

The new system comprises registering a traveller’s name, travel document type, entry and exit date and place, and biometric details (facial images and fingerprints). The first instance of the EES presentation dates back to April 2016. However, the agreement for its implementation came into being in 2017 after a mutual nod from the European Parliament and the Council co-legislators in July 2017. The EES Regulation, in addition to the Schengen Border Code’s targeted amendment, was adopted on 20 November 2017 followed by its enforcement on 29 December 2017.

Thus, Brexit didn’t lead to EES but UK’s exit from the EU region made it a part of third-country nations and hence, Britons require going through the EES check.

For travellers visiting the 30 countries in Europe without needing a visa, ETIAS will be mandatory. And, UK passport holders will also need ETIAS. For applicants within the 18-70 age group, ETIAS will be charged 7 Euros per applicant. And for those belonging to the age groups above 70 and below 18, there’s no fee for ETIAS.

The validity of ETIAS is up to the earliest of three years or the passport expiry date. However, for UK passport holders desiring to visit the Republic of Ireland, ETIAS isn’t required. In addition, EU residents, including UK nationals with proof of their resident status in any of the EU countries, won’t need ETIAS for travel.

Which Countries Will Need ETIAS?

Here’s a list of Schengen countries, entering which will require ETIAS:

In addition, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus are other EU countries that require ETIAS for travel.