Thought that booking your annual holiday in the autumn rather than during the peak summer months would mean less queues and a lot less faff? We’re sorry to say it, but think again.
Unlike everyone jetting off to enjoy a Euro summer right now, if you’re travelling from October onwards you’ll have to register your finger prints and facial biometrics, as well as be able to show proof that you’ve booked your journey back to the UK. Plus, if you’ve managed to get away with travelling without medical insurance all these years, that may not be the case for much longer.
For exactly what checks to prepare for, when exactly to expect them and why, here’s your guide to the new European travel rules coming into force this autumn.
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What are the new EU travel rules?
Under new EU travel rules, British passport owners may have to prove that they have medical insurance and a return ticket when crossing the border. You can also expect to be asked to show proof of accommodation and prove that you have sufficient funds for your trip. These questions aren’t new, but prior to the new systems, they were only asked to travellers that EU border agents were unsure about. Now, according to travel industry experts, they’ll likely be applied to everyone.
The questions will be asked at automated kiosks but if you answer no to any of them, you’ll likely be quizzed by a border officer who could refuse entry.
The new requirements are to do with the new digital entry-exit system (EES) coming into place in a couple of months and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) that’s due to follow.
Luke Petherbridge, the director of public affairs at travel trade body Abta, told the Times: ‘More people are going to be asked these questions in the future than were in the past because most EES checks will be done at a kiosk. Its primary function is digitising the border. If you were to answer one of these questions in a way that you know wasn’t aligned with the answer they were looking for, you would be sent to a border guard. You wouldn’t necessarily be denied entry.’
What is EES?
EES is the system that will digitally register travellers from non-EU countries every time they cross a border into or out of the EU. It will will require travellers to register their fingerprints and facial biometrics. Those details are then stored for three years or until your passport expires.
What is ETIAS?
The ETIAS, which can only come into place once EES has been rolled out, is the system that requires non-EU passport holders to apply for authorisation to enter the 29 European countries that make up the Schengen area.
You can read more about EES and ETIAs, including cost and eligibility, in our full guide here.
When do the new rules come into place?
You’ll need to make sure you have medical insurance and a return ticket when the new entry/exit system comes into place from October 12, 2025. It’ll be totally rolled out by April 2026, at which point the ETIAS will launch. Travellers have been warned to ‘be prepared to wait during busy times’ when the scheme first gets going.
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