Tips tricks and life hacks

GETTING into Europe for your holiday is now different and there are things you must know.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) started a phased rollout on October 12, 2025 in 29 European countries and is fully operational from today – April 10, 2026.

What is EES?

EES is a new automated IT system that has been introduced across airports, ferry terminals and Eurostar stations across the Schengen area.

The system tracks short stays in Europe – up to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.

Why has it been introduced?

EES has been introduced to replace the need for passport stamps.

Instead, going forward, visitors will automatically be checked-in when they enter and exit an EU country.

Read more on travel inspo

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

The aim of the system is to tighten border control, prevent illegal immigration and prevent identity fraud.

Is it also designed to make border crossings more efficient in the long run?

What travel does it impact?

No matter how you are travelling, whether that be by train, plane or sea, Brits (as well as all non-EU nationals) visiting Europe will have to follow the new rules.

If you are going on holiday to any of the following 29 countries, you will be required to follow EES.

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

How will it work?

All non-EU nationals – which includes Brits – are required to register their details on their first visit to a Schengen area country.

This will be done by using specific EES machines which will be at airports, ferry terminals and the Eurostar terminals.

The machines will log your fingerprints, facial images and scan your passport as well.

From today, every traveller has to register with EES.

Once you have registered (such as taking fingerprints and a photo), it is valid for three years.

Each time you travel within those three years, you must complete a shorter and faster check in, which, for example, usually involves scanning your fingerprints already on the system every time you enter or exit the Schengen Area.

If your passport expires before the three year mark, you will need to re-register with your new passport.

You will also have to re-register when the three years expires.

Will it cost me anything?

EES does not cost anything and is free for all travellers.

It is not a paid visa.

Will it make my journey time longer?

There have already been some reports of delays due to travellers registering for EES, including long queues and lengthy wait times.

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill spent three hours getting through the arrivals hall at Lanzarote Airport last month.

And delays have been reported at other airports like Brussels, Lisbon and Prague.

Some airports have put preparations in place to avoid travel chaos.

For example, Spanish operator, Aena, has said that is adapting security and border control for Brits at Ibiza, Menorca, Malaga and Palma, Majorca airports.

Tips to help with EES

The FCDO has recently updated its advice for countries impacted by EES.

On the website it states: “EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.

“EES is replacing the previous system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the Schengen area for short stays. You may be asked to input biometric details every time you enter or exit.

“If you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or Eurostar at St Pancras International, any information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.

“Your digital EES record is valid for 3 years.”

While you might not be able to beat the long queues, Sun Travel has a few tips to make the process less stressful.

For example, book a seat at the front of the plane – this will help you get off the plane and to border control before the rest of passengers on your flight.

Where possible, booking the first flight of the day may help as they are generally fewer flights scheduled at this time and could mean less disruption.

If you have a connecting flight, try and go to a bigger airport when connecting as they are likely to be better equipped for the introduction of EES.

If travelling with children, think about the entertainment you can take with you, like an iPad.

This could help to keep them occupied and calm in long queues.

If you are disabled, make sure to let the airline know in advance as after landing, staff should escort you straight through to the front of the border control queues.

And last but not least, if you are going to be waiting in line for a while you want to make sure you are comfortable – so ditch the uncomfortable shoes, head to the toilet on the plane before you land and make sure you have some water with you.

In other travel rules news, here are all the strict new rules to know about this summer in Italy from outdoor dining bans to daily tourist caps.

Plus, new passport rules are set to affect more than one million Brits – who risk being banned from flights.

UNSURE where to head for your next getaway?

Why not ditch the plane and head off on a European ferry adventure instead?

Most of these routes tick off multiple destinations and you can save buckets on soaring air fares going by foot, car or train and sea.

Sophie Swietochowski has ideas to inspire you . . . 

GOOD FOR: FOODIES

ROUTE: Sail Poole to Guernsey then on to Saint-Malo, Normandy before returning to Portsmouth or Dover.

IT takes just three hours to reach Guernsey via ferry — a big win if you’re travelling with youngsters.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

Seafood and dairy are the food heroes here and there are plenty of seafront spots to sample them.

Le Nautique restaurant is renowned for its seafood, especially the oysters — you can pick up half a dozen for £12.50.

Expect even more plates of wonderfully fresh fish in Saint-Malo.

From this port city you can then make your way to some of Normandy’s top foodie hotspots, all within a couple of hours’ drive.

Bayeux, which is most famous for housing the historic Bayeux Tapestry, is crammed full of gorgeous apple orchards, hence why cider is a popular drink in these parts.

Ferme Lecornu is right in the city centre and offers a “Royal tasting” experience.

GOOD FOR: COASTAL VIEWS

ROUTE: Sail Holyhead to Dublin, return from Belfast (Larne) to Liverpool.

THE rail routes of Ireland are among the most beautiful in the world, offering simply stuinning views of the blustery ocean as you trundle along the cliffside tracks.

This ferry and train-hopping route requires no car — so make sure to celebrate your sustainability efforts with a Guinness or two.

You won’t be hard pushed to find a decent pour in Dublin, although Mulligan’s on Poolbeg Street repor-tedly serves the best — and it’s even attracted a few famous faces in its time, including John F Kennedy and Judy Garland.

Head from one Irish capital to another, catching the train to Belfast.

If you do just one thing here, make sure it’s a Black Taxi Tour that unearths the fascinating history of Belfast’s troubled past.

Then catch the train to Larne, where the scenery gets pretty spectacular — about six miles from the centre you’ll find The Gobbins Cliff Path, overlooking the often ferocious sea.

GOOD FOR: WILDLIFE

ROUTE: Sail Penzance to the Scilly isles – St Mary’s, then Bryher and Tresco, returning back via St Mary’s to Penzance.

KEEP your eyes peeled because your chances of spotting dolphins are always high in both Cornwall’s Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.

Once you’ve caught the ferry over to St Mary’s island, head to Peninnis Head which offers panoramic views of the ocean.

From this high perch you can watch bottlenose dolphins hunting in the choppy waters below.

Hop on the small ferry over to Bryher where even more magnificent coastal creatures await.

We’re talking grey seals, hermit crabs and even puffins.

Your best chance of spotting them is from now until July, so if you’re heading out there, it’s a good idea to pack a decent camera.

From here, make your way over to Tresco and catch some well-deserved downtime on the glorious beaches.

Pentle Bay has previously been named one of the best beaches in the UK thanks to its white sands and peaceful turquoise waters.

GOOD FOR: WHISKY CRAWLS

ROUTE: Sail from Ardrossan to Arran then to Kintyre, on to Cowal then to Wemyss Bay via Bute. If short of time, consider a single-destination option – Oban to the Isle of Mull is just 45 minutes each way.

SCOTLAND blends breathtaking scenery with world-famous whisky — what could be better?

Make your way from the mainland to the Isle of Arran, which has all the unspoilt beauty of the Highlands, but comes with ocean views.

The coastal road wraps all the way around the island in 55 miles and is well worth exploring — with the famous distilleries of Lochranza and Lagg.

Or save those tipples for your next stop in Kintyre peninsula and specifically Campbeltown, otherwise known as the Whisky Capital of the World, because it was once home to over 30 distilleries.

Stay sober enough to take in the views at Cowal and then Bute (sometimes known as the Madeira of Scotland), before finishing your adventure in Wemyss Bay where you can wander the gorgeous Inverkip coastal path.

For a different tasting experience, ferry over from Oban to the Isle of Mull, and sample picturesque Tobermory, home to a very fine single malt.

HOW TO BOOK: Direct Ferries has some excellent tools for planning routes.

The travel site has designed an interactive map that identifies the most convenient port for any journey, with links out to each individual ferry operator to book.

Prices vary per journey, but all ferry journeys mentioned above cost from under £100 per car.

See discoverferries.com.

WITH new travel requirements in action at airports across Europe, EES is set to cause travel chaos this summer.

While you’re likely to be caught up in the chaos and lengthy queues, there are a few ways to make it more manageable.

With many Brits yet to register for EES, it’s predicted that those heading abroad for the summer holidays will be privy to delays.

Some destinations even out of season have reported queues of up to four hours.

These include airports at Brussels, Lisbon, Prague and Lanzarote.

So while you might not beat the queues – here are some tips from Sun Travel to make your next trip easier.

GET IT BOOKED

The ‘cheap luxury’ beach resorts under 4 hours from UK with breaks from £75pp

HOP TO IT

The best UK family days out from £10 to completely FREE in the Easter holidays

Sit at the front

First off is quite simple, book a seat at the front of the plane.

If you want to get to border control before the rest of the passengers on your flight, then by being at the front, you’ll be able to get off first.

You might have to join the queue of passengers on other flights – but not your own.

Early flights

When you’re booking, it might ease wait times if you go head out on one of the first flights of the day.

There are generally fewer scheduled flights and they experience less disruption.

So if you get an early flight, there’s less likely to be a backlog.

Whereas if you’re travelling in the early evening, there could still be passengers being processed who are plenty ahead of you.

Anticipate delays

If you are taking a connecting flight, we’d advise to anticipate delays.

Of course this varies from airport to airport, but some travellers might find it will take longer to get through because of the EES requirements.

Similarly, if someone’s collecting you perhaps give them a bit more time – especially if they’re in one of the pick-up zones that costs money.

Go for a bigger airport

If you can go to a bigger airport and take a longer road transfer, it could be worth it.

At a larger airport there’s likely to be more EES machines than at one of the smaller ones.

For example, Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski found there were plenty more of the machines in Spain‘s Alicante Airport than in Austria‘s Salzburg.

So if you can fly into to a main hub and then continue from there, it could make your journey through the airport quicker.

Bring entertainment

If you have children, or are generally just bored of queues (and who can blame you?) – think about entertainment.

It could be worth setting the kids up with an iPad or something that will keep them occupied.

Also, bring a reserve of snacks because standing in line means no access to the airport’s cafes and shops.

Get into the priority lane

For those who are disabled, make sure to let the airline know in advance as you would usually.

After landing, staff should escort you straight through to the front of border control queues.

Many major airports offer priority family lanes at passport control for families with young children (usually under 12 years old).

Use the plane facilities

Quite simply, if you are going to be waiting in line for yours, then you want to be comfortable.

So before landing, go to the toilet on the plane.

If you’re queueing along corridors before heading into border control, then the chances are there won’t be access to toilets.

For more on what to expect with EES, hear more from our travel experts.

And here’s the other new passport rules that could affect one million Brits.

©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/