Holidaymakers and tourists returning to the UK from Europe will no longer have their passports stamped later this year when changes are set to be introduced. From November passport holders will no longer have their passports stamped as the process becomes digitised.
Following Brexit UK holidaymakers have been required to have their passports stamped whenever they’ve entered or left the Schengen Area. This is to show that tourists haven’t stayed longer than their visa requirements - which is up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
However, the process is expected to be digitised from November and an automated entry and exit system (EES) will allow non-EU visitors to be digitally registered, BirminghamLive reports. 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 about the digitisation of the application process, 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.” Every time a person crosses an EU external border, the system will register their name, type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit. It will also record 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 scheme was 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 be required to obtain travel authorisation online through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
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