UK travellers heading to the EU next summer will face new border rules, including a visa waiver fee. Here’s the full story.
Bitter Fruits of Brexit
Travellers from the UK to the European Union are set to receive more of the bitter fruits of Brexit following an announcement from the EU stating that, starting in the summer of 2025, UK citizens heading to EU countries will be required to pay a €7 visa waiver fee.
Broader Implementation, Not Punishment
However, this is not a punishment for UK citizens who had the temerity to vote for Brexit, but rather part of the broader implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), designed to regulate and monitor the entry of travellers from visa-exempt countries into the Schengen Area.
System Operational by May 2025
Ylva Johansson, the EU Home Affairs Commissioner, confirmed the timeline in remarks first reported by The Times, indicating that the new system could be operational by May 2025, just in time for the May half-term holiday season.
ETIAS Applies to 60+ Countries
The ETIAS system, akin to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), will apply to travellers from over 60 non-EU countries, including the United Kingdom.
Three-Year Validity for Visa Waiver
The visa waiver, valid for three years or until the tourist’s passport expires, requires applicants to submit personal and travel-related information through an online portal or mobile application.
Key Details Needed for Application
Key details needed include passport information, contact details, employment history, and any criminal records. The application process is expected to be approved automatically within minutes in 95% of cases.
Processing Could Take up to Four Weeks
However, in some cases, processing could take up to 72 hours and, in exceptional cases, up to four weeks.
Fee Exemptions for Certain Age Groups
Luckily, the €7 fee will only apply to those aged between 18 and 70, exempting those younger or older. The ETIAS requirement will also not apply to travellers visiting Ireland or Cyprus, as these countries are outside the Schengen Area.
Fee Applies to 27 EU Countries
However, anyone wishing to travel to the 27 other EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, would be required to pay a fee.
Entry/Exit System (EES) Begins November 2024
However, that is not the only barrier soon to be put in the way of UK tourists and business people who want to travel to the EU. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is set to begin on 10 November 2024.
EES Replaces Passport Stamping
The EES will replace the traditional passport stamping process with a digital system that requires non-EU travellers to register their fingerprints and photographs at the border. This biometric data will be stored to monitor and manage visitors’ entry and exit into the Schengen area.
Preventing Overstays and Enhancing Security
It is hoped that the EES will prevent smaller infractions, such as travellers overstaying their visas, and make it harder for criminals, such as foreign spies or terrorists, to travel on foreign passports.
Johansson Confirms EES Launch Date
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told The Times, “After intense dialogues with member states, with you, with the different stakeholders, I have decided that the EES will enter into operations on 10 November.”
Enhancing Border Security Amid High Tourist Numbers
The EU expects these systems to improve the security of its borders, especially as more than 700 million tourists visited Europe in the previous year. EES and ETIAS are vital tools in managing this high volume of travellers while maintaining stringent security protocols.
Delayed Implementation of EES and ETIAS
The implementation of the EES and ETIAS has faced several delays. The EES was originally scheduled to launch in 2022. Despite these delays, the EU remains committed to the rollout.
UK Holidaymakers Likely Affected
The new requirements, which will obviously not affect those lucky enough to remain part of the EU, will likely affect UK holidaymakers planning trips to Europe next year, especially during peak travel times such as the half-term and summer holidays.
Biometric Checks May Cause Delays
Though the biometric checks will likely not add much time to border crossings, increasing them from 45 seconds to around 2 minutes in busy transport terminals could result in significant delays.
Marked Change in Border Management
The introduction of the ETIAS and EES represents a marked change in how the EU manages its borders, with the effects likely to impact travellers from visa-exempt countries like the UK.
Brexit or EU to Blame?
As the systems come into effect, the delay of UK tourists and business people as they travel into the EU will likely be widely reported. However, it is doubtful that the real culprit, Brexit, will be mentioned in any of the UK’s majority Brexit-supporting newspapers.
The Price of Sovereignty
Instead, the EU will likely be blamed for not doing what so many of those same newspapers have been crying out for for the last few years: attempting to better secure their borders.
Another Price of Brexit
For those who frequently travel to the EU, or for those who enjoy only one trip abroad now and then to broaden their horizons, it remains to be seen if these latest of the considerable drawbacks of Brexit will add to the view already shared by a majority of the public according to polling going back to 2022, that Brexit was a mistake, or whether this will just be viewed as simply one more price to pay for being a so-called sovereign nation once more.
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