A very British benefit – More Queuing: Introducing the Europe wide Entry/Exit System from October 2025

If your idea of a half-term continental adventure begins with a brisk shuffle between retractable belts, you’re in luck. From 12 October 2025 until spring 2026, the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is going live. UK passport holders will notice changes at the border. 

The headline: passport stamping is out; biometric registration is in. 

The sub‑plot: the first time you encounter EES, expect it to take longer than the jaunty stamp-and-wave-through. 

What is the EES?

The Entry/Exit System is the EU’s long awaited digital gatekeeper for non‑EU, non‑Schengen nationals (i.e. UK, USA, Canadian, Australian nationals etc) entering the Schengen Area (continential Europe) for short stays. Instead of border officers manually ink-stamping passports, EES will record your entry and exit using a supermarket self-checkout-esq machine, storing your biographic info and the time and place you crossed the border. It is designed to tighten security, stop over‑staying and speed up repeat crossings once in the database. 

How does it affect UK passport holders?

Post‑Brexit, Britons are ‘third‑country nationals’ without the right of free movement across countries in the Schengen area and will need to use one of many supermarket self-checkout-esq machines when first entering one of the 29 participating countries, including France, Spain, Greece and Italy. 

On your first trip after the system goes live, you will be enrolled. Your passport will be scanned, a photo taken, fingerprints collected and you may be asked a few questions about your trip. 

Subsequent trips should be quicker because your biometric profile will already be on file; the system will verify you and calculate your remaining allowance under the 90/180‑day rule.

What changes at the border?

The biggest change is the initial enrolment. For most travellers, that means an extra set of steps at the first crossing. Airports are likely to use dedicated kiosks to capture data and biometrics before you present to a border officer. Ferries, Eurotunnel and the Eurostar terminals—where French border checks take place before departure in the UK—will need to process everyone through biometric capture. In practical terms, that could mean leaving the car, stepping to a kiosk, and then completing checks with an officer. 

Once enrolled, many travellers will be able to use automated e‑gates or streamlined lanes, particularly at airports. Families should be prepared that each adult will need to complete the process individually; arrangements for children vary by location but will involve accompanying adults and may involve manual processing. If you hold dual nationality with an EU or EEA state and travel on that passport or if you have a long-term permit, EES won’t apply; if you travel on your UK passport, it will.

How to prepare 

A little preparation helps, even if it can’t make the queue shorter than the person in front of you. First, passport validity rules still apply: your UK passport should be less than 10 years old on the date of entry and have at least three months’ validity beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area. Check this early; renewals can take time, especially before school holiday season.

Second, build extra time into your journey, particularly if you’re travelling at peak periods or through UK departure points with French controls. Eurostar passengers should expect extended pre‑departure processing and adjust arrival times accordingly. 

Third, follow carrier and port guidance. Airlines, ferry operators and Eurostar will update instructions as processes bed in. Use online check‑in where available, keep your passport handy. Be ready for clear face photos at kiosks—hats off, shades off, earphones off. 

Finally, know your allowance. The 90 days in any rolling 180‑day period rule remains unchanged, but EES will calculate it precisely. Business travellers and frequent visitors should track stays to avoid border friction.

Caveat

The EES does not replace visas; if you need a visa for any reason, those rules still stand. It also isn’t the same thing as ETIAS, the forthcoming travel authorisation for visa‑exempt travellers, which is expected to follow later. For now, think of EES as the digital bookend to your trip, replacing the analogue stamp with a biometric record.

Immigration law and practice is subject to regular change. If you require advice and assistance, please contact me for a fee-paid consultation at paul.mccarthy@crsblaw.com.