Weeks after the EU's Entry/Exit System was supposed to be running everywhere, the picture for British travellers is patchy: some borders register biometrics by the book, others have quietly dropped them. Here is what EES means for UK passport holders in 2026 — and where it is still going wrong.
The Entry/Exit System digitally registers non-EU travellers as they cross the Schengen area's external borders, replacing manual passport stamps with faster biometric checks. Here is how it works.
Cruise holidaymakers have been left confused by the EU's new Entry/Exit System. The good news: sailings that begin and end at a port outside the Schengen area, such as a UK harbour, are generally exempt from EES checks, including day trips ashore.
When school is out, fares surge. With a little flexibility on destination and timing, you can still find a sunny half-term escape for a reasonable price, while keeping the new EU border checks in mind.
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) began a phased rollout on 12 October 2025, replacing manual passport stamps with biometric registration for non-EU travellers. Here is what frequent business travellers need to know before their next trip to Europe.
With the EU's Entry/Exit System rolling out from 12 October, many travellers heading to Germany this autumn are unsure what extra scrutiny they will face. The early reality is likely to be patchy rather than dramatic.
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.
Eurostar is now letting passengers take their seats up to 30 minutes before departure at London St Pancras, a move designed to relieve overcrowding as demand soars and the station readies itself for the EU's Entry/Exit System.
The EU is working towards an autumn 2025 launch for the Entry/Exit System (EES), but it will arrive in phases rather than all at once. Member States can start with a share of their border crossing points and scale up over six months, while ETIAS is not expected before late 2026.
Holding an Irish passport can spare you much of the post-Brexit border red tape that British travellers now face. Here is how an EU passport works at the frontier and who is exempt from the new checks.