Eurostar has installed EES kiosks at St Pancras International (Photo: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg)What will EES mean for holidays to Europe?Airports
When the system launches, it is likely to mean longer waits at the border for travel to the EU or Schengen Area. Third-country travellers visiting the EU or Schengen Area by air will be subject to biometric checks on arrival. While a planned longer-term advantage of EES will be to save time compared with manually stamping passports, it may lead to longer border queues after it is first introduced.
Eurostar
As French border checks take place at St Pancras, EES checks will affect waiting times on departure from the UK. Modelling by Eurostar predicts the process for registering data at its EES kiosks would take 90 seconds per person.
Once they have completed the process, passengers will be permitted to proceed to the Eurostar area. After passing through the ticket gates, they will go through security checks. Next, they will go through an exit check, which is required by the UK Home Office.
Finally, they will go to French border control. On the first journey after they have used the EES kiosks, they will need to go to a border control officer, rather than using the e-gates, to complete the registration process.
Dover and Eurotunnel
Dover is preparing for delays of up to 14 hours when the checks come into effect, with Kent County Council warning traffic jams could be “much worse” than the 23-mile tailbacks seen in 2022. The Port of Dover has previously revealed a plan to reclaim land in its western docks. While originally intended for cargo, it could be used to hold ferry passengers when EES begins.
Getlink, which owns Eurotunnel, is spending £100m on a new area where passengers will be able to register their data for EES.
Are there any other changes to EU travel rules?
EES will be the first step of new border rules. It will be followed by the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias), which is expected to begin around six months after EES launches.
Etias is effectively a visa waiver. An approved Etias application will be mandatory for non-visa holding UK passport holders for travel to 30 European countries.
There will be a €7 charge for applicants aged 18–70. People aged under 18 or over 70 will need to apply but will be exempt from the fee. An Etias will be valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
Source link : https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/brexit-fingerprint-travel-checks-ees-3177633
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Publish date : 2024-07-18 15:01:00
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