UK travellers heading to popular European destinations face significant delays as the European Union's new Entry Exit System comes into force on Sunday. The system affects journeys to Spain, Portugal, Italy and other countries in the 29-nation Schengen area.
The Entry Exit System requires travellers from third-party countries including the UK to have their fingerprints registered and photograph taken when entering the Schengen zone. For most UK travellers, this process will take place at foreign airports upon arrival.
Expected delays at airports
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, warned travellers to prepare for extensive waits. "For major airports in southern Europe, we recommend that travellers now allocate four hours for navigating the new system in these initial stages," she said.
Border controls could face overwhelming pressure when multiple flights arrive simultaneously. Lo Bue-Said said "delays should be anticipated" and warned of "potentially overwhelming volumes of travellers during the initial roll-out". She added: "This should settle over the next few weeks as staff and travellers familiarise themselves with the new procedures."
Rory Boland from Which? Travel advised passengers to plan accordingly. "Longer waits are expected at border control on arrival so you should allow more time when you land by booking later transfers or other onward travel," he said.
UK departure points affected
Travellers using London's St Pancras railway station, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel's Folkestone terminal will complete their EES checks before departure from the UK. New kiosks have been installed at these locations, though only some passengers will be required to use them initially.
The Home Office estimates the additional checks "should only take one to two minutes" to complete but acknowledged they may lead to "longer waits at busy times".
Phased implementation
The EU is introducing EES gradually, with participating countries initially required to use the system for only a proportion of arrivals. The deadline for full implementation across all entry points is 10th April next year.
Individual EES registrations will remain valid for three years, though travellers' details will still be verified on each trip during that period. The system will eventually eliminate the need for border officers to stamp passports.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, expects long-term benefits despite short-term disruption. "In the longer term, EES should make processes quicker and simpler for travel to Europe," he said. He noted that countries have contingency measures available "to avoid significant and lengthy waiting times" and asked that authorities "remain vigilant and use this contingency measure where needed".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
