What impact will the EU’s new system for entry and exit have on British travelers?

Following the decision for the UK to exit the European Union, the government has made arrangements for British citizens traveling abroad to be treated as “third-country nationals” and face limitations. As a result, British passport holders are now required to go through a document inspection and receive a stamp.

In the coming fall of 2024, there will be additional measures implemented that will likely result in increased bureaucracy. On a positive note, passport stamping will no longer be required. However, all travelers will now be required to have their fingerprints and facial biometrics taken.

The EU is set to implement an “Entry/Exit System” (EES) which will track the movements of non-EU travelers. As per the current plan, by mid-2025, UK citizens planning to visit the Schengen area will be required to apply for entry permission through an online platform.

The Schengen zone includes the majority of the 27 remaining countries in the European Union (excluding Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania), as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

The Etias, or Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System, is the latest measure in enhancing border security. It relies on the full functionality of EES and is expected to launch in mid-2025.

The online permit, which costs €7 (£6), will remain valid for a period of three years.

The Automated Registration System for Entry and Exit is a technology-based system designed for recording citizens from countries outside of the EU and Schengen region.

The system is designed for travelers who are entering or exiting an external border of the Schengen region, such as flying from the UK to Spain or crossing by road from Greece to Turkey. It will not be utilized for borders within the Schengen area.

The EES system will record the date and location of entry or exit, as well as obtain fingerprints and a facial biometric.

According to the European Union, this system will eliminate the need for manually stamping passports. The current process is inefficient and does not accurately track border crossings or identify individuals who have overstayed their visas.

British travellers, like other “third-country nationals,” are restricted to 90 days’ stay in any 180 days within the Schengen area. But enforcement of this currently depends on checking passport stamps and is applied haphazardly.

The new system will not be enforced in Ireland or Cyprus.

The original plan was for EES to launch in 2021. However, the EU-Lisa, the organization in charge of implementing it, has postponed the start date multiple times due to the database not being fully prepared.

In October 2023, the European Council’s Council for Justice and Home Affairs approved a revised schedule for implementing the EES.

The council announced that the new IT architecture will include the Entry/Exit System, which is expected to be operational by autumn of 2024.

According to The Independent, the start date has been rescheduled to October 6th, 2024.

Travelers departing and arriving from abroad will complete necessary procedures at foreign airports, following a process similar to that of US immigration, for both entering and exiting the Schengen region.

During initial registration, individuals are required to undergo fingerprint checks and provide a facial biometric. For subsequent visits within a three-year period, only one of these will be necessary, with the preference being for the facial biometric due to its practicality.

Each time the passport is renewed, an additional three years of validity is added to the expiration date.

Several EU countries have raised concerns about the additional time required for the new procedures, with the Slovenian government cautioning that it now takes four times as long to complete them.

For those journeying on land, the situation may be even more dire.

Tim Reardon, the head of EU exit for the Port of Dover, testified to Parliament about the new system, stating that there are no e-gates for cars or group travel. Each process is done individually.

It is not possible to perform biometric identification without requiring all individuals to exit the vehicle.

“We cannot allow this to occur on our site as it poses a safety risk due to ongoing live traffic. It would be like asking drivers to exit their vehicles at a toll booth on a busy highway. This is a dangerous situation that we must prevent.”

In January 2024, members of parliament were alerted to the possibility of British citizens encountering significant delays at border control when traveling to Europe. The European Scrutiny Committee of Parliament was informed by Ashford Borough Council that queues of 14 hours or longer could occur if measures are not put in place to prevent delays. This was considered a “reasonable worst case” scenario should the proposed scheme be implemented in October as scheduled.

Gareth Williams, strategy director for Eurostar, which runs trains to France from London, said: “We don’t currently see a practical solution. If we take the peak of August, up to 80 per cent of people will have to go through the system.

“We are facing a significant space limitation. We would need at least 30 kiosks and an area equivalent to the entire check-in space at St Pancras.”

EU citizens will not be subject to the rules.

The long-awaited plan is expected to launch approximately six months after EES is established, possibly in the spring of 2025. A “grace period” of six months is expected to be given, resulting in Etias not becoming mandatory until late 2025.

According to European regulations, Etias is considered a “pre-travel authorization system.” This system is comparable to the US Esta, the Canadian eTA, and the British ETA, which are not classified as visas but are granted to non-visa requiring international travelers.

The EU states that its main purpose is to confirm whether a non-EU citizen fulfills the necessary criteria for entry before traveling to the Schengen region.

Since Etias mandates that visitors must apply beforehand, disclose significant personal details, pay a fee, and obtain approval to cross a border, it is often referred to as a “eurovisa”.

The cost for applicants between the ages of 18 and 70 is €7 (£6). However, applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will still be required to obtain an Etias, but it will be free of charge.

Once the EU is prepared, the core of the system will be an Etias application and website. Individuals traveling will need to provide personal details such as their name, address, European contact information, and passport information. They will also need to disclose their occupation, including job title and employer. Students will be asked to provide the name of their educational institution.

The individual applying must provide information about any significant criminal convictions within the last 20 years.

Tourists are required to indicate their reason for travel (such as vacation, work, or visiting relatives), state the initial destination country, and provide the address of their first night’s accommodation through an online platform. This may be challenging for travelers who prefer to make spontaneous plans.

Similar to other digital travel authorizations, commercial agents are permitted to assist with the process. However, Frontex, the EU agency responsible for implementing Etias, warns that there are numerous fraudulent websites that may charge significantly higher fees than the standard €7 (£6).

Any website that is not europa.eu/etias is not an official source and should not be considered reliable.

One fraudulent website falsely claims to have processed 671 applications, which is impossible as no applications have actually been processed.

A different website provides a 40 percent reduction for applying early. Certain sites use the EU emblem, which is against the law.

Frontex cautions against the possibility of identity theft if imposter websites are given personal information.

Each application will undergo a thorough review against both EU and relevant Interpol databases, in addition to a specific watch-list for Etias.

The system will be adjusted to identify individuals who are suspected of participating in acts of terrorism, armed robbery, child pornography, fraud, money laundering, cybercrime, human trafficking, the illegal trade of endangered animals, counterfeiting, and industrial espionage.

The European Union strongly recommends obtaining the Etias travel authorization prior to purchasing tickets and making hotel reservations.

The goal is for an Etias to be approved in a matter of minutes, although a simple application may take up to four days.

If a program is marked for review (meaning it has a match with one of the databases), the person applying may be requested to give more details. As an alternative, the European Union states that the applicant may be invited to partake in an interview with local authorities, which could take up to 30 more days.

If your request is approved, no certificate will be provided and there is no need for any physical documentation. The border official will retrieve the necessary information from the passport you submitted with your application.

Absolutely. Instructions for appealing will be provided in the rejection notification.

According to the EU, having a travel authorization does not automatically grant entry rights. Similar to the US, travelers may be denied entry without explanation.

It is probable that there is a procedure in place for an Etias to be revoked.

The permit will remain valid for a duration of three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

The Common Travel Area, which includes the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, is not subject to European Union regulations. Additionally, Ireland is not part of the Schengen area.

No.

They will need to have someone, such as a friend, family member, or travel agent, assist them in submitting the application, similar to how the US Esta and other programs operate.

The UK requested to follow this regulation upon their departure from the European Union. This rule states that British citizens are limited to staying a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days.

For instance, if you were to stay in the Schengen area for the first 90 days of 2024 (January, February, and most of March), you would only be able to come back in late June.

Prior to the UK’s referendum on membership in June 2016, efforts to fortify the external border of the European Union were already in progress.

Etias would not be relevant if the UK was still in the EU. But the nation voted to leave the European Union and the British government negotiated for British travellers to be classified as third-country nationals – triggering extra red tape.

Source: independent.co.uk