BRITS heading to Europe now have to go through the new Entry/Exit System (EES), but some parents have been unclear on whether kids have to use it too.
Some families hadn’t realised that children under 12-years-old need certain biometrics taken at the border.
On ABTA, the confirmed advice reads: “People of all ages will need to go through the EES checks.
“Children under 12 will not need to provide fingerprints, but they will need to have a facial scan taken.”
This is where the confusion lay as some parents believed their younger children were exempt from checks altogether.
Any Brit over the age of 12 is required to have both their fingerprints taken and their face scanned for registering.
If you are heading abroad as a family, it’s important to leave extra time for EES checks as delays have been reported to be up to six hours.
Some passengers have even missed flights as a result.
Passengers returning to the UK from Athens in June were still in the airport queuing through passport control and missed their flight to London Luton.
One holidaymaker told the BBC there had been a “mega queue” at Athens International Airport.
Hundreds of people were waiting at both security and passport control and the plane was forced to leave without them.
Something else to be aware of if travelling as a parent with a different surname, as this can result in airport delays.
Tough rules at the border are in place to prevent child trafficking and parents could be asked for proof of relation.
Along with valid passports, it’s advised to keep important documents to hand, these include;
- A sealed copy of any Court Order you have permitting you to travel alone.
- A consent letter from the parent(s) or holders of parental responsibility not accompanying you.
- Your child’s birth or adoption certificate.
- Your marriage certificate or Decree Absolute if you were married to the non-accompanying parent but are no longer married.
While we can’t guarantee that it will make journeys any quicker, Sun Travel do have suggestions on how to make it a bit more bearable with kids.
The first is bring entertainment, it could be worth setting the kids up with an iPad or something that will keep them occupied.
Take advantage of the priority lane if there is one for families – usually this is for those with young children.
For more tips on how to avoid EES chaos at the airports, head here.