A nine month warning has been given to anyone with a UK passport as they could be required to have fingerprints scanned when travelling to or returning from Europe. From November 2023, tourists returning from Europe will no longer have their passports stamped.
Since Brexit, tourists from the UK have needed their passport stamp when entering or exiting the Schengen area to prove they have not stayed outside of their visa requirements, but this process is becoming digitised with tourists instead using an automated system that will digitally register non-EU visitors, reports The Liverpool Echo.
The European Commission’s department for Migration and Home Affairs said: "EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of overstayers."
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In a statement regarding the digitisation of the application process, visa facilitation organisation VFS Global said, “We are fully aware that the EU plans to digitise the visa application process, and as an external service provider to virtually all EU and Schengen governments, VFS Global looks forward to work with these governments to support them on their transformation journey.”
Each time someone crosses an external EU border the system will register that individual's name, type of travel document, and biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images. The system will also record the date, place of entry and exit and refusals of entry.
The 27 Schengen countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The system was originally due to launch in 2022, but was delayed until May 2023 and again until November.
Travellers with visa-free access to the Schengen Area will need to obtain travel authorisation online through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
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