Significant passport changes are coming in across Europe, with the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office issuing a warning to those looking to head in to the European Union (EU).
How people with a British passport get in and out of the EU is about to change forever, with your passport no longer stamped by officials at border control.
Instead, the EU is bringing in a brand new system to control its borders, with all citizens who don’t have EU passports subjected to the new rules. Since the UK chose to leave the EU back in 2016, that includes us.
New passport rules are set to be introduced (Getty Stock Image)EU’s new passport control system
By the end of 2024, the days of collecting stamps in your passport will be behind us.
Instead, the EU’s new Entry / Exit System (EES) will be in place with it changing how we journey through border control across 29 countries in the EU.
The system has been pushed back until the winter, with it initially meant to be rolled out earlier this year.
It will be put in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Instead of getting your passport stamped, the EES will take your fingerprint while also taking a photo of your face. Both will then be matched up to track the time you’ve spent in the EU.
UK passport holders will have to follow the new EES rules (Getty Stock Images)Warning over the Entry / Exit System (EES)
The Foreign Office has told Brits that the EES could cause issues to begin with when it is first introduced.
On the UK government website, it reads: “From November 2024, you’ll get your fingerprints and photo taken when entering the Schengen area.
“You’ll get either your fingerprints or photo taken when you leave. You will not get a stamp in your passport.
“Queues at borders may be longer when these changes begin. 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.”
Passport stamps will no longer be given out after the EES is introduced (Getty Stock Images)When is the EES being introduced?
The EES will formalise the EU’s crackdown when it comes to the Schengen 90/180-Day Rule.
This is a rule whereby people who aren’t citizens of an EU country can stay for up to 90 days within any 180 days.
But you cannot stay a day longer and doing so risks punishment for overstaying your legal welcome without a visa.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson confirmed in the summer that the EES will be introduced across the 29 countries from 10 November 2024.
Reports from Europe suggest that this could be delayed again, or introduced partially, with sources telling news outlet The Local the system was not ready across all member states.
A European Commission spokesperson said: “Member States are working hard towards the implementation of the Entry/Exit System to ensure that it starts operation on time.
“The Commission is in close contact with all member states to support them to prepare for the entry into operation, as well as with the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice.”
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Publish date : 2024-10-01 04:35:00
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