If you thought travelling from the UK into the EU zone is complicated this year, just wait until next year.
Tourists from outside the EU will be required to submit a photograph and fingerprints from May as part of the bloc’s bid to tighten entry rules following the UK’s departure from the Union.
The EU’s long delayed Entry/Exit system (EES) will come into force in May, and will replace the stamping of passports.Non-EU travellers will be asked to submit photos and four fingerprints, which will be submitted in the form of biometric data.
This will also register the traveller’s name, travel documents and date and place of entry and exit. What is more, British holidaymakers will also be forced to pay to enter the bloc from November 2023.
Prospective visitors will be forced to complete an online form with details of health, education and any criminal convictions, and pay €7 (£6) for a three-year permit.
The “Etias” scheme was initiated before the UK’s vote to leave the Brussels bloc and mirrors the US “Esta” scheme.