AFTER a summer of lengthy European airport queues while signing up to the new EES system, Brits were beginning to hope they could look forward to a calmer summer next year.
But it turns out there’s a whole host of new problems on the horizon – as computers are failing to log when a British holidaymaker returns to the UK.
There has been lots of bother at border control with the introduction of EESSource: GettyI was wrongly recorded as being in the Schengen Area for over 200 daysSource: Alamy
On my recent trip to Sweden, I was stopped at the border and told I had overstayed my stay in the Schengen Area by 145 days – automatically, I was facing a travel ban and potential fine.
I was blissfully unaware of the EES error until I handed my passport to border control who to my horror said: “Your passport says you’re still in France“.
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I was pretty floored because I hadn’t been to France recently. But it turned out my exit hadn’t been recorded from when I took the Eurostar to Paris back in March.
Considering I was entering Sweden in early November, that took me well over the allowance of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period.
If I was unlucky like some, I could have been turned away at the gate and put straight back on a plane to the UK or fined up to €10,000 (£8,300).
However, the lovely staff member at Stockholm Arlanda Airport simply asked me how long I had stayed for and luckily for me, took my word for it.
I had only stayed for two days in Paris, rather than the over 200 it had recorded.
With a few clicks the border control officer corrected my online EES record and sent me through without so much of a second look.
The entire situation could have been so much worse – as experienced by lots of Brits whose exits have been wrongly recorded by EES machines… or in some cases, not recorded at all.
In one recent case, famous author Jojo Moyes was threatened with a fine and ban on travel into Europe after being labelled an ‘overstayer’.
I was allowed into Sweden – but not everyone has been so luckySource: Alice Penwill
Jojo Moyes’s ordeal happened on her way home from a five-day trip to Marseille in October.
She was stopped at the border and told she had overstayed in the Schengen Area.
However, the writer had only spent 23 days in Europe in the last six months – what had happened is that her departure from Portugal in May had not been logged.
She told Which?: “The clock had been ticking ever since. Under Brexit rules, I was now an overstayer.
“The border control senior officer at Marseille warned me that I should not attempt to re-enter Europe until it is sorted out, or face a €10,000 (£8,300) fine and a two-year ban.”
Another British woman I know professionally was also stopped from entering Finland after a trip to Rome.
She told me: “I was stopped at the border in Finland last November by border control who said my record was showing I was still in Italy.
“While I had registered with EES going into Rome, it hadn’t recorded me leaving.”
She added: “After a lot of back and forth with border control officers and around 45-minutes of waiting, it was recognised as an error and I was let into the country.”
One of the worst cases though, was of Mrs Paula Pugh – who was essentially deported from Italy shortly after arriving on a family holiday.
Brits who ‘overstay’ can be fined up to £8,300 or banned from travelling in EuropeSource: GettyIf you spot an error, you’ll need proof of when you exited the countrySource: Alamy
Paula had just landed in Italy when she was told at border control that she had overstayed her 90 day limit and as a result she was escorted out of Italy.
Talking to The Telegraph, Paula explained that she had only taken three short visits to Spain and one to France before her Italy break – which totted up to 22 days.
However, the system hadn’t recorded her last exit from the Schengen Area, and Paula was put back on a plane by police on the same day.
Her passport was even given to the captain for the duration of their flight.
How can you avoid these problems?
If you’re worried that you’ve not been logged out of the EU’s Schengen Area properly, there is a way to do so.
Before travelling, I’d advise you to check the days left on your record with an EES online tool from The European Commission.
You just need to fill in the details from your passport, where you’re headed next, and it will reveal how many remaining days you have left.
But note: this does not include any stays recorded before April 10, 2026.
If you have spotted an error in the number of days, you will need to contact the Data Controller for the country in which you believe the error was made.
Your email explaining the mistake will need to include a passport scan and proof of your exit which can be a boarding pass for a flight, train or bus ticket from the Schengen zone.
Has this happened to you? Get in touch by emailing alice.penwill@thesun.co.uk
What’s the issue with EES?
EES was fully rolled out on April 10, 2026 – the system was designed to make travel for Brits quicker and easier through the Schengen Area.
The electronic system replaces the need for passport stamps by recording entry and exit through fingerprint scanning instead.
When you arrive at the destination the scan will record your entry, and when you leave, it will record the exit – or it should.
However, the issue with EES is that at the moment, Brits are still registering at the special machines which have resulted in huge queues at airports.
On occasion, EES machines have been turned off entirely to ease congestion – but this means that not everyone will then be recorded correctly.
In some cases glitches with the EES system means it could be turned off – passengers could then be manually stamped out, but this won’t appear on the system.
What’s the latest on EES?
The UK Foreign Office altered its advice to Brits, asking them to carry evidence of when they last left the EU, to avoid being wrongly refused entry.
Advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) reads: “If you believe you have been incorrectly entered into EES or your record of time spent in the Schengen area is incorrect, approach border officials when you next cross the Schengen border and request a correction.
“If you are exempt, carry documentation confirming your status. If you believe your time spent in the Schengen area has been recorded incorrectly, raise this with border officials and be prepared to provide supporting evidence if requested.”
If you are going on holiday to any of the following 29 countries, you will be required to follow EES.
Neil Jones’ facial expression led Strictly fans to claim that the pro dancer looked ‘disgusted’ after Carlos Gu and Jaime Winstone performed a foxtrot to Man I Need by Olivia Dean
Strictly fans said Neil Jones looked ‘disgusted’(Image: BBC)
The professional dancer, 44, faced backlash on social media after Carlos Gu, 33, and Jaime Winstone, 41, finished their dance. The pair, who were the first to perform on the October 24 show, danced a foxtrot to Man I Need by Olivia Dean.
As Carlos and Jaime hugged following their dance, the camera panned to the balcony, capturing Neil’s expression, which viewers then addressed on social media. One asked: “Why did Neil look disgusted?” Another said: “Had a face like a slapped a**e.”
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A third jumped in: “Neil needs to be given a partner & all will be solved. I’ve had enough of him being there to make up the numbers. He’s a great dancer & deserves to have a partner for the series!”
One more shared: “Sorry, Neil, have you got a problem with Jaime Winstone’s dance pal?” Someone else wrote: “I’d check if Neil’s armed. He’s fizzing.”
Neil has missed out yet again on a celebrity partner in this year’s show, with his last famous pairing being in 2024. Two years ago, Neil was paired with singer Toyah Willcox, but they lasted two weeks before being eliminated.
Last year, the professional dancer lost his father, and earlier this week, he posted on social media to pay tribute to him. Posting a picture
It is an emotional time of year for Neil as he lost his beloved father around this time last year. The dancer posted a tribute on Instagram earlier this week, as he returned to social media to mark a year since his dad’s passing.
Sharing a picture of them sharing a pint together, Neil told his followers: “It’s been a year, and I know you’ll be having a pint, smiling and looking down on us all.” He captioned the post: “Thinking of you.”
Meanwhile, many fans were left disappointed by the judges’ scores for Jaime and Carlos after their foxtrot. The pair, who opened the show, scored 25 out of 40, with every judge giving them a six, except Anton du Beke, who gave them a seven.
“I absolutely love Jaime and Carlos, and I thought the Foxtrot was gorgeous, much better than the judges are making out. Queue undermarking,” a fan said. Another tweeted: “I’m no dance professional but surely Jaime & Carlos was undermarked there?”
A third said: “That was a beautiful foxtrot routine from Carlos, so traditional. It was a bit lumpy and I did notice the couple of mistakes from Jaime, but overall I enjoyed it and I noticed some good footwork plus her spins were gorgeous. I felt the judges were a bit harsh.”
