The UK is ramping up preparations for the EU's new Entry/Exit System, with fresh funding, new kiosks and added staffing at key departure points. Travellers should still expect extra processing time when the system goes live on 10 November.
In August 2024, European Commissioner Ylva Johansson confirmed that the Entry/Exit System was on track for a November 2024 start, with ETIAS to follow six months later. This article reflects the reporting at that time — note that the EES eventually launched in October 2025 and the ETIAS fee was confirmed at €20, not the €7 cited here.
The EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System is facing another delay, leaving many travellers unsure about when the new border checks will begin. Here is a clear overview of what the EES is, who it affects, and how it could change travel to the Schengen Area.
The European Union is preparing major changes at its external borders. Here is a clear guide to the EES and ETIAS systems, the expected rollout timeline, and what non-EU travelers should be ready for.
In early 2023, Spain's tourism industry raised concerns that the planned ETIAS fee could discourage visitors from one of its most important source markets. The warning was aimed not at a system already in force, but at a proposed travel authorisation still expected to arrive later.
The European Union is reshaping how non-EU visitors enter the bloc. New digital systems will combine biometric border checks, electronic travel approval and a fee structure that changes the travel process significantly.
A significant step forward in regional integration: the EU Council and European Parliament have agreed to grant visa-free travel for Kosovo passport holders across the EU.
British passport holders will be required to obtain paid travel authorisation before entering the Schengen Area under new EU border rules.
Long before ETIAS became part of routine travel headlines, ABTA was explaining it as an EU proposal modelled in part on ESTA-style pre-travel screening. The key point was that the scheme originated in wider Schengen border policy rather than as a direct response to Brexit.