New campaign to prepare British travellers for EU border changes

British travellers are being advised to prepare for incoming EU border checks as the government today launches a new awareness campaign around the changes.

Messages advising the British public about the introduction of new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks at the EU border will be shared across government social media channels, by transport operators and on travel websites. Up to date information can also be found on GOV.UK and FCDO’s Travel Aware pages.

From 12 October 2025, the EU will introduce EES for UK and non-EU nationals, travelling for a short stay. EES is an automated system that will require travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken.

EES will be a requirement when entering Schengen area countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EES will not be required when travelling to Ireland and Cyprus.

British travellers will need to register on their first visit to a participating country after EES is introduced. This registration is valid for a rolling 3-year period or until the passport expires. Children under 12 will not be fingerprinted but under the new EU rules. All travellers, including babies, will be photographed and have digital records created.

On exit, and for subsequent entries and exits to or from a participating country, travellers will only need to scan their passport and provide either their fingerprints or a photograph at the border.

European countries using EES will phase this new system in over 6 months, meaning different ports may have varying requirements until April 2026. This should allow for a gradual implementation that minimises disruption, particularly at peak periods.

For travellers using the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or Eurostar at St Pancras International, the process will take place at the border before they leave the UK.

Last year, the government provided these juxtaposed ports (Eurostar, St Pancras; Eurotunnel, Folkestone; and the Port of Dover) with £10.5 million of funding to support the introduction of border infrastructure. While EES is an EU system, the government have been working closely with the travel industry, ports and transport operators to help raise public awareness and understanding of the border changes.

A government spokesperson said

While EES checks will be a significant change to the EU border, we are in constant and close dialogue with our European partners to try and minimise the impact on the British public.​

While we have done everything we can to ensure the required infrastructure is in place, anyone who is planning a trip to the European mainland once these checks are introduced will still need to allow more time for their journey as the new EU systems bed in.

The EU has introduced EES to replace passport stamping for all non-EU citizens, helping them to track compliance with the 90-day visa-free travel rule and strengthen their border control.

British citizens covered by Withdrawal Agreement residence documents and UK-EU dual citizens using their EU passports will be exempt from the new requirements.

Travellers do not need to take any action before travelling and EES registration is free. EES checks will take place upon arrival at the EU border and may take slightly longer than previous border checks.

Whilst checks should only take 1-2 minutes for each person, they may lead to longer wait times at border control upon arrival in the Schengen area. At the juxtaposed ports, where checks are completed in the UK, prior to departure, there may be longer waits at busy times. Eurotunnel, Eurostar and the Port of Dover have plans in place to minimise disruption as much as possible.

The UK government has rolled out its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which is a digital permission to travel for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, or do not have another valid UK immigration status prior to travelling to the UK.​