entry

BRITS jetting off to countries including Spain and France should be aware of new entry rules which are set to be rolled out in full in just a matter of days.

The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which is an automated border check for non-EU nationals, comes into full force on September 7.

It involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.

This system first launched back in April, and was linked to lengthy queues and in some cases passengers missed their flights.

As it stands, EU member states are able to pause the checks in “exceptional circumstances”. This includes when queues get too long.

But come September 7, they will no longer be able to temporarily switch off the system at airports.

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It means the rules will be fully enforced with no exceptions, raising fears of even longer queues for British holidaymakers.

Popular holiday destinations including Greece, Spain and France have all used flexibility when needed.

Back in July, countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland wrote to Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner asking to keep the congestion EES opt-out, EuroWeekly News reported.

The countries backed a full roll out, but did not want to face a cliff edge before Christmas.

A decision has not yet been made on the extension, so travellers should prepare to use the EES machines on September 7.

It comes as the new system has caused huge problems for those holidaying abroad this summer.

Some Brits reported waiting for up to six hours in airports and others even missed their flight.

OVER one million tourists visit Thailand every year – especially in the autumn, winter thanks to its sunny climate.

But for anyone heading there soon, there’s bad news as the amount of time you can stay is being slashed in half.

Since July 2024, the country allowed tourists from 93 countries – including the UK – to stay in the country for 60 days without a visa.

But in a matter of weeks, the allowance is being cut in half.

Starting September 15, 2026, nationals of 60 countries and territories, including the UK will be allowed to stay visa-free for up to 30 days. 

According to officials, the list was revised to “reflect current circumstances, taking into account national security and economic considerations as well as the promotion of tourism”.

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Tourists can visit still visit 30 days visa-free for tourism, business engagements, and urgent or ad-hoc work.

Advice on the GOV.UK has a warning for anyone who stays in Thailand longer than the given period – or if you stay without a visa.

It reads: “If you overstay the period of your visa, you will get a fine of 500 Thai baht a day up to a maximum of 20,000 baht. You risk being:

• held in detention
• deported at your own expense
• banned from re-entering Thailand for up to 10 years

“Conditions in detention centres can be harsh.”

Other entry requirements are that your passport has an expiry of at least six months after the date you arrive and have at least one blank page for stamping.

Travellers also need to complete a digital card at least three days before arrival.

MORE travel chaos could be on the horizon for Brits as a change to the new Entry/Exit System (EES) is being introduced in a matter of days.

EES has already resulted in huge delays at airports, missed flights and these could get worse in a few weeks’ time.

Currently, EU member states are allowed to pause EES checks in “exceptional circumstances”, which includes when queues get too long.

But from September 7, EU states will no longer be able to temporarily switch off the system at their airports.

Over the summer when the number of holidaymakers increased, countries were able to switch the system off for up to six hours.

With an influx of passengers, some countries that made use of this over the summer included France, Portugal and Greece.

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At some airports, the machines had to be shut down and turned on again when they get overwhelmed, just to get them to work.

Air France-KLM told Politico: “When lines form during the busy summer  months, the system is shut off to ensure smooth transit at our hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.”

However, from September 7, EES will be fully enforced with no exceptions.

EES was first introduced in April and requires Brits to register biometrics upon any first entry to a Schengen country.

However, this registration process has been causing long queues and delays at border control across European airports.

Some Brits reported waiting for up to six hours in airports and others even missed their flight.

There have been some other issues as well including one woman who is an identical twin and faced a problem when she was mistaken for her sister.

And older passengers have faced a problem with ‘faded fingerprints’.

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.

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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.