The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is soon to kick in.
So, from 12 October 2025, trips to Spain, France, Greece and the rest of the Schengen club are getting a bit more complicated for UK travellers.
The EES will bring in biometric checks to borders. In short: fingerprints, mugshots and slightly longer queues.
The EES is Europe’s way of keeping a closer eye on who’s coming and going. Each time a non-EU traveller (yes, that includes Brits) crosses a Schengen border, they will have to provide fingerprints and a photo of their face. All of this will go into a digital record that tracks when you enter and leave.
EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES): What changes for UK travellers?
You don’t need to do anything before you travel, but when you arrive at an airport, ferry port or train station in the Schengen zone, you’ll have to hand over your biometric bits and pieces. That first check will take the longest, but once you’re in the system, future trips should be quicker.
If you are heading over by car or train, through Dover, Folkestone or St Pancras, you will be processed before you leave the UK. That means longer checks before boarding, rather than after you arrive.
The obvious downside is time. Expect border queues to move more slowly, especially in the first weeks of the new system. Airlines and train companies are already hinting that travellers should turn up earlier than usual.
For frequent business flyers, the system might actually save time later down the line, since once your details are logged, you will just be scanned in and out. Tourists, on the other hand, will mostly just notice the extra waiting around, so best to factor that in when planning city breaks or holiday connections.
In theory, the scheme should make borders safer and smoother in the long run. In practice, at least at the start, it is probably going to mean more sighing and waiting in queues.
