UK travellers to face mandatory fingerprint scans upon arrival in EU from autumn 2025, according to EU plans.
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Get ready, Brits! From autumn 2025, your European getaways might take a bit longer. New border control rules for third-country citizens, including us post-Brexit folks, mean fingerprinting, facial scans, passport checks, and vehicle snaps. Nope, not a one-time deal - it's every journey until the digitalised system kicks in.
These strict measures are part of the EU's strategy to secure the Schengen Area's borders. With the bulk of Brits voting for Brexit in 2016, we became third-country citizens in the EU's eyes.
Now, an eventual digital and biometric system will perform the entry checks, logging and storing your travel details for future trips. But until then, it's hands-on, outside-the-vehicle checks. So, pack your patience, mate, as every road trip to the EU might become a pit stop when autumn rolls around.
Doug Bannister, Port of Dover's top boss, confirmed to The Guardian that summer travels will carry on as usual, but post-autumn, buckle up, as we've got some big changes on the horizon. The port is giving itself a palm-sized plot of land to create an area where you can comfortably stop, step out, and get your biometrics captured, even during drizzly English nights.
Bannister noted that the procedure could add around six minutes to boarding times, but pundits predict a more substantial slowdown. Travellers can minimize hassles by accounting for potential delays and stocking up on patience. Passports should be at the ready for manual checks, and don't be surprised if your scans happen at ports and airports. Be prepared for more changes as the EU's Entry and Exit System goes online fully.
If you're a claustrophobic coach passenger, you might want to gear up for an ordeal, according to Euro Weekly. Reports suggest that coaches will be "tape-sealed shut" after checks, driven cross-town, and monitored by AI and number plate recognition.
So, keeping "taking back control" of our borders, one of the key Brexit manifestos, seems like a two-way street.
- As we prepare for post-autumn travels to the EU, adopting an eco-friendly tour lifestyle might be beneficial, as the new border control measures could potentially prolong our journey, promoting a relaxed pace and reduced carbon footprint.
- The upcoming changes in border control regulations could impact not only our travel time but also our tour choices, as eco-tourism, promoting sustainable and responsible travel, might offer a smoother and less stressful trip amidst the new requirements.
- With the introduction of the EU's Entry and Exit System, our travel lifestyle may undergo significant changes, and adopting a minimalist approach, carrying only necessary items such as passports and required documents, could help streamline the procedure and reduce potential delays during our trips.
