New European Travel Requirements

Travelling to Europe is about to change. British Citizen and other non-EU passport holders will soon notice differences at the departure and arrival ports. Later, a requirement to apply for a visa waiver will also be introduced. Let’s look at the changes here, beginning with the Entry Exit System (EES).

EES

The Entry Exit System, commonly referred to as the EES, is expected to launch on 10 November 2024. At its most basic, it is a new digital system designed to keep track of international visitors to Europe for crime prevention and immigration purposes, monitoring when they enter and leave. This information will be gathered at a visitor’s arrival and departure airport in Europe, and UK ferry and Eurostar terminals like Portsmouth and St Pancras.

Instead of having their passports stamped, travellers will have their photographs taken and fingerprints digitally scanned.

EES will apply in all EU member countries except the Republic of Ireland and Cyprus. It will also be in place in Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Together, these nations form the Schengen area, an international zone where cross-border travel is freely permitted.

Travellers will not have their fingerprints and photographs taken at internal border crossings within the Schengen area, it will only happen when entering from and leaving for an outside country such as the United Kingdom. On a One Traveller holiday, checks will typically occur at the beginning and end of a guest’s travels, even where we visit more than one country, such as our Prague, Vienna & Budapest holiday, or our tour of the three Baltic Capital cities.

The impact of EES is expected to be minimal, although there may be longer queues at the border when the system is first switched on.

If you are taking a One Traveller holiday to Europe on or after 10 November 2024, please read your pre-holiday information pack carefully. Suggested arrival times at the airport and plans for your first activities in the resort may have been revised to allow extra time to complete the new border formalities.

ETIAS

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (commonly referred to as ETIAS) is expected to launch approximately six months after EES. It will likely be in place by late spring 2025.

ETIAS is a visa waiver, like those operated by the United States and Canada. Once in place, British Citizen and other non-EU passport holders will need to apply for an ETIAS before travelling to Europe. It will grant visitors the same travel rights as those currently in place, for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day rolling period.

ETIAS applications are completed online and will cost €7 (about £6) for those aged 18 – 71 and will be free of charge for older and younger travellers. Applicants must have a valid email address. Once approved, the ETIAS will be valid for three years, allowing for repeated journeys.

Once the EES is up and running and the ETIAS launch date is announced, One Traveller will update this article and our social media channels, communicating with guests to ensure travellers understand the new requirements in good time for their holidays.

Although One Traveller is unable to apply for an ETIAS on a guest’s behalf, our team will of course be happy to assist as much as possible.

Ahead of the EES and ETIAS launch, you can find more information from the following sources.

The ETIAS application website is already live, although it isn’t yet accepting applications. The site does have an excellent FAQ section, however. It is the official channel through which updates are shared by the EU in the run-up to launch.

ABTA has created a comprehensive guide to EES and ETIAS, which is frequently updated.

The UK government provides its own information and advice for British travellers on EES and ETIAS.

For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, click here.