As the EU's Entry/Exit System prepares to launch, rumours about compulsory insurance, new visas and endless queues are spreading fast. We separate the myths from the facts on what UK travellers really need to know.
ETIAS is the European Union's forthcoming online travel permit for visa-free visitors, and British holidaymakers are firmly within its scope. Here is a clear guide to what it costs, when it arrives and how to apply without falling for a scam.
From 12 October 2025, British tourists heading to the EU faced new biometric border checks under the Entry/Exit System, with full rollout expected by April 2026. Travellers also needed proof of insurance, funds and accommodation — and from 2026 an ETIAS authorisation too.
From October 2025, British travellers face several significant changes at Europe's borders as the EU's Entry/Exit System begins. Here is what to expect at airports, ports and land crossings.
The European Union's long-delayed Entry/Exit System has begun a bumpy, phased rollout, with biometric checks already causing long queues at some borders. Here is where the rules apply, what they mean for UK travellers, and how to prepare before ETIAS arrives.
Europe's long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) is scheduled to begin for some UK travellers on 12 October 2025, with a phased rollout running until full operation on 10 April 2026. ETIAS is now expected to follow in late 2026, with its fee rising from €7 to €20.
The much-delayed Entry/Exit System will start applying to UK travellers on 12 October 2025, the EU has confirmed. The first six months will mix biometric and analogue checks before full operation on 10 April 2026, with the new ETIAS fee set to almost treble to €20.
The UK government says its post-Brexit reset deal will let British holidaymakers use more e-gates in Europe and avoid long border queues. The reality is more complicated, and being able to use an e-gate is not the same as rejoining the fast-track lane.
Despite a headline e-gates agreement at the EU-UK summit, British travellers were told they would face passport-stamping queues in the EU until at least October 2025, with access phased in over six months. Here is what the deal actually delivered.
From 2 April, most European visitors to the UK must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), but the equivalent requirement for UK travellers heading to Europe, ETIAS, will not arrive until the end of 2026. ABTA is urging people to follow the official timeline and ignore unofficial sites that claim to sell an ETIAS already.