by The headlines this week looked scary for those of us who fear red tape when we travel. “UK citizens traveling to the EU next summer will have to pay a €7 visa waiver fee” read one.
Let me walk you through the latest post-Brexit bureaucracy story – starting with that headline.
Myth 1: “UK citizens traveling to the EU next summer will have to pay a €7 visa waiver fee.”
Happily, that sentence will only come true if you substitute “will not” for “will”. Sure enough, the toughest ever tightening of red tape for British travelers will begin 10 weeks from now. But you won’t have to pay anything for at least another year.
Here is the timeline for the changes. On 10 November 2024, the EU introduced the “entry-exit system” (EES) which will record the movements of non-EU visitors to the Schengen Area (which includes all EU nations except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as Iceland , Norway and Switzerland. ).
British passport holders must currently have their travel documents inspected and stamped. The good news is that passport stamping will stop. The bad news is that all travelers must, at least in theory, be fingerprinted and provide facial biometrics.
It will encourage many seemingly absurd ways of working, such as the sealed buses that run through the center of Dover carrying passengers who are already technically in French territory.
In the unlikely event that the EES introduction is successful, six months later the Electronic Travel Information and Authorization System (Etias) will be launched.
The next step in tightening border controls is an online permit system similar to the US Esta scheme, but cheaper at €7 (£6) and valid for longer: three years.
Add six months to the EES start date and you arrive at May 2025. But even though Etias is scheduled to start then, you don’t need to do anything yet.
A transition period of six months is planned, during which Etias is strictly discretionary. It will not be compulsory for prospective visitors from the UK to apply online for permission to enter the Schengen Area until November 2025 at the earliest.
Even then, Brussels will provide an additional six-month “grace period”. You will only be allowed to enter the European Union once without an Etias. That takes us to the summer of 2026.
Myth 2: “The UK is being punished for Brexit.”
Daisy. Work to strengthen the external border of the European Union began ten years ago. British officials participated in the initial planning of the entry-exit system and online registration for third-country nationals. Theresa May, as prime minister, recognized the potential for adversity in 2016.
After the nation voted to leave the European Union, Boris Johnson’s government negotiated to classify British travelers as third-country nationals – along with people from East Timor and Venezuela. In other words, the UK asked to be subjected to all the additional red tape that everyone knew was already on the horizon. The EU agreed. So Brussels is delivering exactly what we wanted. Rejoice.
Myth 3: “If we stayed in the EU we would still be subject to all the new red tape because we are outside the Schengen Area.”
Trash. If the UK were still in the European Union, EES and Etias would not affect British passport holders. Citizens of EU countries outside the Schengen Area (currently Cyprus and Ireland) do not need to go through the entry-exit rigmarole or obtain an Etias.
Only their passport/ID will be checked on arrival and departure, usually via an express line. The border officer can only verify that their travel document is valid, and that it is theirs.
We would have enjoyed the same mild border experience if we had voted Remain – or if the Johnson government had not gone for a hard Brexit.
Myth 4: “It’s normal. There will always be queues as always.”
That response to X is one of many similar comments I’ve received. The “new normal”, with fingerprints and facial biometrics, could make those queues four times longer, according to some EU member states’ estimates.
Myth 5: UK airport queues can lead to missed flights.”
The new rules could cause some flights to be missed – but not from UK airports. There is certainly the potential for lost ferries at the Port of Dover, which faces the most problems due to its restricted location and the presence of “combined border controls” – with French officials checking passports while still in Kent. But even if the queues cause you to miss your planned event, you will be put on the next sailing.
All flights from the UK to the Schengen Area will be checked on arrival in European territory. It’s sure to be a long wait, but at least you’ll be in the right country when you’re standing.
There will also be checks on departure from the EU back to the UK, and this is where the small risk lies. But I am hopeful that the obligation of each member state of the European Union to properly staff its borders will be respected.
Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores the key issue of travel – and what it means for you.
