The new entest and exit rules for UK tourists travelling to Europe from today

New border rules come into effect across the European Union from today

New border rules come into effect across the European Union from today for any UK tourist visiting one of the 29 countries in the Schengen area.

From today (October 12) UK tourists visiting countries in the Schengen area, such as Spain, Greece and Portugal, will be required to submit additional information at passport control.

The alters come as part of the roll out of the European Union’s new Entest/Exit System (EES) which aims to tighten border security and monitor how long UK travellers and other third-countest nationals spfinish in the EU, with tourists limited to stays of 90 days within an 180 day period.

New EES regulations will apply non-EU nationals travelling to 29 countries in the Schengen area who either hold a short-stay visa, or do not required a visa to stay for the 90-day period.

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It will replace the current system of stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU and will instead create a digital record for all travellers.

Below are all the details of how the new EES will affect British tourists travelling to Europe, including details of who will required to supply data and what this data will be as well as how the alters will affect passport control queues.

What details will I required to submit when arriving in Europe?

From today, British tourists arriving in any of the 29 countries in the Schengen area, will be required to submit their biometric details as part of the EES.

For a short stay applying a UK passport, tourists will be required to submit both a scan of their fingerprints and a photo of themselves at a booth and once they have submitted their information, the EES will create them a digital record containing the data which they have supplied.

The EES will also collect and store personal information such as the data listed in your travel documents, such as names and date of births.

The system will also register the date and place of each entest and exit, as well as whether an individual was refapplyd entest.

Any tourist who refapplys to supply biometric data, such as their photograph or their fingerprints, will be refapplyd entest to the countest they are visiting.

Do children required to submit their details when arriving in Europe?

British tourists of all ages will be required to apply and supply their biometric data for the EES, including children.

However children under 12 will not be required to submit a fingerprint scan. They will however still be required to provide a photo of themselves.

All children over the age of 12 will be required to submit a photo and a scan of their fingerprints as part of the EES.

Do I required to supply any data before I travel?

British tourists expecting to apply the EES when they arrive at their destination do not required to supply any information prior to travelling. Instead they should travel as they would normally.

The first time a UK traveller arrives at a countest applying the new system, they will be required to then submit their biometric data.

Will it take longer to receive through passport control applying the EES?

The Foreign Office and airline providers have warned UK tourists that they may have to wait longer at border control as the EES is initially rolled out, as the system collects data from travellers.

The Foreign Office has declared completing the EES process could take each passenger a “few extra minutes”.

But while UK travellers may face longer waits as the EES is initially rolled out, the system is expected to create queue times shorter as registration is only required once and will last for three years.