Controversial plans to charge UK citizens to enter the European Union have been delayed again. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) was initially scheduled to be launched next month but was firstly postponed until May 2023.
However, the scheme has now been suspended further until November 2023, according to the European Commission. When the plan is finally introduced, visitors aged between 18 and 70 from outside the EU who currently have visa-waiver status, including travellers from the UK, will have to apply for an ETIAS to visit any of the 26 countries in the Schengen Zone
UK passport-holders must apply online for the ETIAS permit costing €7 (£5.86). Once granted, each ETIAS will be valid for three years or until the expiry date of the travel document.
However, the automated Entry/Exit System (EES), which means all non-EU arrivals must have four fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken, is still scheduled to come into force in May 2023. This will store passengers’ biometric data and register the name, travel documents and date of place of entry and exit.
Since Brexit, UK citizens without residency rights in the EU must have their passports stamped on entering or leaving the bloc causing lengthy delays at some popular holiday destinations this summer. Planning for ETIAS has been taking place for several years to improve border security through the pre-screening of non-EU visitors.
A European Commission spokesperson stated: “Stamping is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow the detection of overstayers or address cases of loss or destruction of travel documents.”
While the new system may speed up the immigration process at airports, there are concerns that it poses challenges for ferry and Eurotunnel passengers where the vast majority arrive by car.
