EU e-gates use at European airports unsure for British travellers | EUROtoday

It stays unclear whether or not UK passport holders will be capable of use e-gates at EU airports this summer season.

The EU Commission has advised the BBC that UK residents is not going to have entry to them till a brand new scheme to reinforce border safety comes into pressure in October, and even then it’s as much as particular person international locations.

When requested if e-gates could be accessible this summer season, the prime minister’s official spokesperson stated it was as much as particular person nations to implement the modifications and it will replace on “the precise timelines for that… in due course.”

Since the UK left the EU bloc, many well-liked vacation locations have seen lengthy queues of British travellers at airports as they anticipate passports to be checked.

The new European Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) gathers biometric information on residents arriving within the EU from non-member, third-party international locations, which incorporates the UK.

After know-how delays, it’s now resulting from roll out in October 2025.

Monday’s deal between the UK and the EU says there shall be “no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)”.

An EU Commission spokesperson advised the BBC that the introduction of the EES will open the potential for utilizing e-gates for all non-EU residents, together with UK residents and imply quicker processing at borders.

“Once the EES is in place, UK nationals will therefore be able to use e-gates where they are available, provided they are registered in the system.”

However, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden stated it was “highly unlikely” passport holders would be capable of use EU e-gates this summer season.

“The EU is introducing this new entry and exit scheme so nothing is going to happen before that’s in place, and that’s not yet in place. They’ve put the date back for that a few times, the latest date is the autumn, let’s see if that’s stuck to.

“After that it is as much as the member states. But this offers us the likelihood, I’d say the chance, that folks will be capable of use the e-gates in future, which isn’t a chance in the intervening time.”

Some EU countries already allow UK citizens to use their e-gates, so it is possible that talks with individual nations could result in more letting British passengers use their gates this summer.

The inclusion of e-gates in the deal has surprised some in the travel industry, as they had understood the gates were always going to be available to UK passport holders in the EU once EES begins in October.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, an independent travel group, said:

“This new deal seems to supply little greater than expanded entry to e-gates that are already in use at some locations and solely after the long-delayed digital border system (EES) is launched, at present deliberate for an October launch.”

Currently, EU destinations which already allow UK passport holders to use e-gates often then require a secondary check and a passport stamp.

The new deal and EES means UK passport holders will likely no longer require a stamp.

The launch of EES has been within the pipeline for some time. It will see non-EU nationals needing so as to add their biometric information to a brand new EU database, which shall be executed on the level of departure to the EU, both at an airport, port or prepare station.