Over the next couple of years, the way we enter and travel to Europe is going to change, and the first part of that change will start this Autumn. As background, when the country decided to leave the European Union, the government on our behalf negotiated that our relationship with Europe would change and we would be treated as third-country nationals, which until recently has meant our passports being stamped on entry and exit and adhering to not staying more than 90 days in any 180.
Entry and Exit System
It has been confirmed that the new Entry and Exit System (EES) is to be operational from 12 October 2025. However, it will be phased in over the winter, with all ports and airports to be operational from 10 April 2026. During this time, passports will continue to be stamped as normal.
Effectively, the EES is an electronic replacement for stamping our passports, featuring a new biometric system that requires us to provide fingerprints and a photograph. Your entry and exits into and out of the EES area will be logged.
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)
ETIAS is going to be the European equivalent of the American ESTA or Canadian ETA, a visa-waiver travel authorisation we’ll need to complete before travelling.
This will start sometime between October and December 2026 (a date is yet to be confirmed, although it’s roughly six months after the EES transition has been completed). So if you see anything advertised online to complete one in 2025 – don’t, it’s not operational and it’s a scam.
The EU has also just announced it is proposing increasing the fee to €20.
It will be required for travel to the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
