29/08/2024
British travellers will need a visa-waiver to visit most EU countries from 2025, including Spain, France and Portugal.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (Etias) was due to be introduced in November 2023, but has been postponed. When it launches, UK passport-holders will need a visa-waiver to visit any countries in Europeโs passport-free zone, the Schengen Area.
Holidaymakers will need to apply online and pay a fee of โฌ7 (around ยฃ6) before travelling. The authorisation is expected to be valid for three years, or until your passport expires.
Similar to Americaโs Esta system, Etias will allow citizens from 63 visa-exempt countries to visit the Schengen Zone with an electronic authorisation rather than a full visa. This includes the UK, which is considered a third country since Brexit.
The scheme was originally due to start in 2021, but the European authorities have so far postponed the schemeโs launch date five times - most recently to 2025.
Brussels is also introducing photo and fingerprint checks. Its new borders initiative - the entry-exit system (EES) - will require non-EU citizens, including British travellers, to provide biometric data whenever they enter or leave the Schengen Zone. Children under 12 will be exempt.
The entry-exit system will replace passport-stamping and is expected to cause delays at busy airports and ports such as Dover, where French officials conduct checks on British soil.
The exact launch dates of both the entry-exit system and Etias have yet to be confirmed. Itโs expected that the EES will also be introduced and implemented first.
