If you have a trip planned to Europe this year, you might want to add a little extra travel time to your schedule as a new system for border control could cause delays for people heading abroad.
New face and fingerprint scanning at all borders is expected to roll out in November, and anyone travelling will need to ensure they have time to create their biometric profile before they are allowed to cross.
The Entry Exit System (EES) will launch across the European Union sometime in November – although an exact day has not yet been confirmed.
It was announced last week that £10.5 million in funding will be given to support preparations at the Port of Dover, Folkestone’s Eurotunnel and Eurostar at St Pancras train station in London.
It’s hoped this will help to alleviate any potential delays from the new technology being brought in.
The UK Foreign Office issued a warning yesterday saying the new system will require all citizens outside the EU to create a digital record and register their biometric data when they enter the Schengen area.
The update reads: “From November 2024, the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will start for all non-EU nationals, including British nationals, travelling in or out of the Schengen area.
“You will need to have your fingerprints and your photo taken when entering the Schengen area. If you enter the Schengen area through Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or St Pancras International, your fingerprints and photo will be taken before you leave the UK. You will also need to provide either your fingerprint or photo on exit.
“You may experience longer queues at borders when the new system starts.”
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Austria
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Belgium
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Bulgaria
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Croatia
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Czech Republic
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Denmark
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Estonia
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Finland
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France
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Germany
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Greece
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Hungary
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Iceland
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Italy
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Latvia
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Liechtenstein
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Lithuania
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Luxembourg
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Malta
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Netherlands
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Norway
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Poland
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Portugal
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Romania
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Slovakia
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Slovenia
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Spain
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Sweden
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Switzerland
In Cyprus and Ireland, passports will continue to be stamped manually.