The EU's biometric Entry/Exit System is now live at borders across the continent, and travellers have been warned of long queues this summer. Here is what changes and how to prepare.
The EU has introduced two major changes for travel to Europe: the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) and the upcoming ETIAS travel authorisation. ABTA's guidance breaks down what they are, who they affect and how to prepare.
Travelling to Europe changed after Brexit, and ABTA's advice now reads like a checklist: confirm your passport meets the rules, understand the 90/180 limit, and prepare for the EU's new border systems. Here is what UK travellers should tick off before departure.
One of the most important pre-trip tasks is making sure your passport is valid for your travel dates and renewed in good time. ABTA's guidance reads as a clear checklist covering validity, renewals, visa-free limits and the EU's ETIAS.
At the start of 2026, ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer set out five challenges the travel sector must meet head-on, from the EU's new border systems to pricing rules and the rise of AI. Several, he argued, are also opportunities for growth.
As 2026 opens, the pace of change in travel policy and regulation shows no sign of slowing. Here is a clear explainer of what the year holds, with the EU's Entry/Exit System and ETIAS at the centre of the picture.
Each year ABTA has a presence at World Travel Market to stay in touch with members and the wider industry. At this year's WTM in London, the programme combines a 75th-anniversary celebration, fresh Holiday Habits research and a practical session on EES and ETIAS.
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.
With the EU's Entry/Exit System about to launch, scammers are exploiting traveller confusion over the separate ETIAS scheme. Here is what is genuinely required right now, how ETIAS will eventually work, and why the only safe place to apply is the official channel.
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.