For those travellers who hold UK Passports, one of the benefits we’ve had since leaving the European Union is to queue to be stamped in and out of Europe at your first port of entry/last point of exit.
Well, we might be seeing an end to this, as part of the latest round of UK-EU talks.
Helsinki Transit Immigration – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
The agreement would allow UK Passport holders to clear EU Border Immigration via the eGates border system (labelled as EU/EEA/CH lanes at EU border crossings), as opposed to queuing up and being processed manually into the EU.
According to the agreement text, it states:
The United Kingdom and the European Commission will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of eGates where appropriate. They note that European Union citizens can use eGates in the United Kingdom and that there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from European Union Member States after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System
For those with pets, A new passport system will be introduced to make it easier for UK pets to travel, ending the need for repeat vet certificates for cats and dogs.
There are big time-saving advantages
Here are some experiences when crossing the EU Border and some times I’ve waited:
- August 2024: Arriving at Helsinki into the EU (as an arriving passenger at 15:00) – 1 Hour
- January 2025: Entering Romania – 5 minutes
- January 2025: Exiting Romania – 20 minutes
- April 2025: Entering Germany – 10 minutes
- April 2025: Exiting Germany – 15 minutes
These times all add up, be it through peaks and flows, if you’re travelling for pleasure of business .
No timelines as yet…
It seems that this will be tied to EES (European Entry/Exit System), which will help the European Union to monitor those entering and exiting the borders (and not relying on passport stamps to prove you’ve entered or exited a country.
But for now, there are no formal timelines, which means you’ll need to queue up in the “All Other Countries” lane when arriving at an EU port of entry for a while to come.
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