Travel rules change for France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal

Everyone travelling on a UK passport will be affected

People travelling to countries such as Spain, Italy and France on a UK passport will soon have to follow new rules. From November, a new digital system is to be introduced to “strengthen the security of the EU’s external Schengen border”.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will apply to people travelling to the Schengen area, which is made up of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) states that UK travellers must do this on their first visit to the EU, excluding Ireland and Cyprus, after EES is introduced. The record will be checked on point of entry into the Schengen area verifying either their fingerprint or photograph.

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At some ports in the south of England, including Dover, Eurotunnel and St Pancras, EES will be carried out before departure. There may be increased wait times while EES registration is completed before passengers leave the UK.

Any UK traveller who decides to visit the Schengen area again within a three-year period of creating their digital record will only need to provide either their fingerprint or photograph at the border on entry and exit. The FCDO says “EES will bolster border security for both the EU and their neighbouring countries.”

The EES will mean those travelling on a UK passport will no longer have to have their passports stamped when travelling in the Schengen area. People can expect longer queues at borders when the new system starts.