Big changes are on the way for foreign travellers to European Union countries.
The EU’s new on-again-off-again Entry-Exit System (EES) is now set to
be introduced on 10 November, although even that revised date could be
put back a week, according to reports from the UK.
EES is a biometric system for registering travellers from non-EU
countries when they cross the EU’s external border. It will apply to
both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travellers.
The EES, which replaces passport stamping and automates border
control procedures, applies if you are a non-EU national travelling to a
European country using the EES for a short stay of up to 90 days within
any 180 day period.
The EES will be followed next year by ETIAS, which will require
visitors from non-EU countries to pay a €7 fee for an electronic
authorisation that lasts for up to three years.
The cross-border rail operator Eurostar is now working to install
some 50 kiosks at St Pancras station in London ahead of the EES launch.