UK travellers told to ‘expect long queues’ as major new EU border rules come into force today

Changes have been made

The new Entry Exit System (EES) comes into action today (Sunday 12 October) and means that people from third-party countries, such as the UK, will need their fingerprints registered and photograph taken before entering into many European nations.

The rules cover European 29 countries, 27 of which are part of the European Union.

British passport holders have been warned of potential delays to people arriving from the UK as staff "familiarise themselves with the new procedures".

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, told ITV: “For major airports in southern Europe, we recommend that travellers now allocate four hours for navigating the new system in these initial stages.”

She noted that "delays should be anticipated, notably at times when multiple flights are arriving."

She added: "We foresee potentially overwhelming volumes of travellers during the initial roll-out."

The Home Office acknowledged the change and said that the extra checks “should only take one to two minutes” to complete but warned they may lead to “longer waits at busy times”.

Meanwhile, Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Longer waits are expected at border control on arrival so you should allow more time when you land by booking later transfers or other onward travel.”

The EES is being implemented gradually in the EU with only a proportion of arrivals from third-party countries required to be processed in this way.

Nations have until 10 April next year to fully roll out the scheme.

Under the rules, once a person has undergone EES registration, their prints and photograph are valid for three years.

It is planned that the system will eventually speed up the border control process and replace the need for border officers to stamp passports.

The EU hope that the new system will help Schengen area countries identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud and help reduce illegal immigration.