20 Aug, 2024 @ 11:30
1 min read

Date is confirmed for start of EU’s Entry/Exit System this autumn – but how will it work?

THE European Union’s long-awaited – and anxiously anticipated – new passport system has finally been given a definite start date.

From November 10, non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area, including British tourists, will face stricter border controls as the Entry/Exit System (EES) becomes operational.

The EES will require non-EU citizens to scan their passports at self-service kiosks when entering and leaving the bloc. 

However it won’t apply to EU residents, including British TIE holders in Spain.

READS MORE: ‘Nervous’ ferry passenger in Spain is caught trying to smuggle three giant lizards that belong to a threatened species

Brits passport stamped Schengen
The Entry/Exit System (EES) system will come into effect on November 10

While the system aims to improve security and reduce overstays, there are fears it could lead to long queues at border controls – especially at Dover and Gibraltar.

“There may have been times you believed it will never happen,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said of the EES. “But it’s going to happen.”

“Everything is coming together. We’re in the final testing phase. There is a real momentum now. Carriers, operators, train stations, airports, everyone is getting ready for the big day.”

The system will collect biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, and record entry and exit times, making it much harder for visitors to overstay the 90-days-in-180 rule.

“We will know if people stay too long, countering irregular migration,” Johansson said. 

“And the EES will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photos and fingerprints.”

READ MORE: Dozens of boat migrants arrive on popular tourist beaches on Spain’s Costa Blanca – including children, pregnant woman and wheelchair user

British government agencies and travel industry representatives have warned of potential chaos at border crossings. 

While authorities claim to be working to minimise disruption, travellers are advised to allow extra time for border checks when planning their trips.

However, Guy Opperman, a former UK transport minister, has since explained the scheme will have a ‘six-month soft launch’ to iron out any inevitable wrinkles.

The EES is just one part of a wider overhaul of border controls. 

From 2025, travellers will also need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) before their trip.

For the price of €7, this additional permission to enter the Schengen zone is likely to add to processing times. The ETIAS will be valid for three years, or until the owner’s passport expires.

Both developments have been greeted with grave misgivings in Gibraltar, which will likely see its fluid border with Spain grind to a halt.

The tiny territory is dependent on 15,000 Spain-based workers crossing the border each and every day.

The government of Gibraltar announced last month that Spain had already started building the EES infrastructure at the border as hopes of a post-Brexit border deal dwindle.

Walter Finch

Walter Finch, who comes from a background in video and photography, is keen on reporting on and investigating organised crime, corruption and abuse of power. He is fascinated by the nexus between politics, business and law-breaking, as well as other wider trends that affect society.
Born in London but having lived in six countries, he is well-travelled and worldly. He studied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and earned his diploma in journalism from London's renowned News Associates during the Covid era.
He got his first break in the business working on the Foreign News desk of the Daily Mail's online arm, where he also helped out on the video desk.
He then decided to escape the confines of London and returned to Spain in 2022, having previously lived in Barcelona for many years.
He took up up a reporter role with the Olive Press Newspaper and today he is based in La Linea de la Concepcion at the heart of a global chokepoint and crucial maritime hub, where he edits the Olive Press Gibraltar edition.
He is also the deputy news editor across all editions of the newspaper.

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