Many travelers are asking: What new directive will the EU impose on British travelers this year?

The European Union has long promised that its revolutionary “Entry-Exit System” (EES) will soon begin. After that, the next step in tighter border controls is ETAS: the Electronic Travel and Authorization Information System.

But after a number of contradictory announcements from Brussels about Europe’s plans, there is understandable confusion about exactly what is planned and when. These are the answers you need.

What is EES?

“An automated IT system for the registration of non-EU nationals traveling to the EU for a short stay,” the European Commission says.

Many countries are digitizing their borders. Instead of relying on “wet-stamp” passports and paper form filling, they create a central database that interacts with border posts – whether at airports, seaports, railway stations or road crossings. Europe does this on a large scale with the entire Schengen area. This means all EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

The purpose of the entry-exit system is to capture the personal data of all “third-country nationals” when entering or leaving Schengen’s external borders – such as flying from Scotland to Spain, crossing the Channel Tunnel from England to France or crossing by road. From Greece to Türkiye

The EU says the system will “replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow systematic identification of overstayers”.

The Commission calls the EES “the most modern digital border management system in the world”. It is certainly one of the more delayed launch of multinational IT projects in the world.

From the passenger’s point of view, how will the check-in and check-out system work?

First, the traveler simply presents himself and his passport at the border of the Schengen area. At the first entry with that passport, their personal details, facial biometrics and fingerprints are taken and transferred to a central database.

When leaving the Schengen area, the exit will be registered, although only one biometric – almost certainly the face – will be used. This will be repeated for every entry and exit during the lifetime of the passport.

Will EES be used at the internal borders of the Schengen area?

no

when does it start

No one knows, or at least they don’t say. The entire project is marked by missed deadlines. The last and most shameful one was in 2024.

In August, the EU committed that the EES would continue until 10 November 2024. It will be a “big bang” launch, across all borders from the Arctic crossing from Russia to Norway to the shipping port at Tarifa in Spain – the southernmost. A point on the European continent, where travelers arrive from Morocco.

But exactly one month before the launch of the EES, the EU quietly revealed that it had been delayed indefinitely by the European Commission (the “Union Civil Service”).

More information was promised “in the coming weeks”. But so far nothing has happened and one of the knowledgeable sources said IndependentIt will almost certainly be until 2025 before it is likely to have a significant impact on UK travellers.

Any enforcement during the months of Easter to September will coincide with high levels of border crossings. It seems that the entire project will be delayed until the fall of 2025 very soon.

How early do we know when something might happen?

Again, no one knows. To add to the confusion, a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council on October 10 revealed a plan to “develop the EES in stages” to “ensure a smooth transition”.

In other words, the “Big Bang” plan has been abandoned. One or more medium-sized airports may be able to perform biometric checks and collect passenger passport data to assess smooth operation. But it can only be a “shadow” EES, where the passport stamp continues.

It seems complicated. What should I do differently?

nothing There will be plenty of warning ahead of any changes affecting UK passport holders. Meanwhile, anyone lucky enough to hold an Irish or other EU passport can rest easy. Nothing will change. Then, as now, all the border guard is allowed to do is check that the passport or ID card is valid and belongs to the bearer.

When EES starts, how much extra time will it add at airports?

Some member states have said that the need to fingerprint and photograph passengers can quadruple the arrival time of any non-Schengen passenger. Johan Lundgren, the former chief executive of easyJet, said passengers could be kept on board at airports if there were queues at arrivals halls. But there is a possibility that fingerprint biometrics will be completely removed. The commission now says the plan is now to “scan the fingerprints or take a photograph of those who cross the border for the first time”.

The key word in that phrase is or instead of and Previously, the plan was to require both fingerprints and facial biometrics from every passenger.

As the experience of US Customs and Border Protection shows, facial recognition software is now so advanced that fingerprints are no longer routinely taken. The immigration process is generally much smoother than before.

So, when the EES is finally launched, the expensive machines ordered by airports, railway stations and ferry terminals may be overspecified.

How about Etias?

The travel information system and electronic permit is the next step in the tightening of border controls. This is an online permit for third country nationals who do not need a visa. It’s similar to the US Esta scheme, but cheaper at €7 (£6) and valid for longer: three years. While those under 18 or over 70 still need to apply for and have Etias, it will be free.

However, it is crucial that Etias needs the EES to be fully operational in order to work. Once the entry-exit system has been in place for six months, Etias is to be introduced. But initially a grace period of six months will be granted – so it will not be mandatory for prospective UK visitors to apply online for a permit to enter the Schengen area for at least a year after the full introduction of the EES. The prospect of its occurrence before 2027 seems remote.