Tui has warned passengers travelling to Europe of a major change taking place from November. The EU is set to roll out its new Entry/Exit System (EES) from November which will require British travellers to provide fingerprints and a photo when they enter the Schengen area.
It will apply to those travelling to the Schengen area, which encompasses all EU countries, except from Cyprus and Ireland. It also includes the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
An exact date of the EES rollout is yet to be confirmed by the EU, but it is expected to launch in November. The EES will replace passport stamping and requires most citizens of countries outside the EU to create a digital record, which involves registering their fingerprints and photo when they enter the Schengen area. READ MORE: UK tourists warned of imminent emergency alert in Canary Islands If British travellers decide to visit a country in the Schengen area again within a three-year period of creating their digital record, they will only need to provide either their fingerprint or photograph at the border on entry and exit.
The aim of the system is to improve border security for both the EU and its neighbouring countries. Tui warned passengers that when the system is rolled out and it’s your first time registering, “it might take a bit longer than usual to pass through border control”.
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