Latest news with #BritishTravellers
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
British tourists barred from Denmark because border police get passport rules wrong
As the main summer season for Scandinavia gets under way, British travellers holding passports valid for travel to Denmark may be turned away – because the nation insists on rules that are tougher than the Schengen area, to which it belongs. The millions of British travellers who have passports valid for longer than 10 years run the risk of being refused entry to Denmark even if their documents comply with EU rules. The Boris Johnson government negotiated for UK citizens to become 'third-country nationals' following the Brexit vote. As a result, British passports must pass two tests for travel to the European Union and wider Schengen area: Under 10 years old on the day of arrival to the Schengen area At least three months remaining on the intended day of departure As the European Commission has repeatedly confirmed to The Independent, these rules are independent of each other. For example, a British traveller with a passport issued on 1 July 2015 and valid to 1 April 2016 could travel to a Schengen area nation up to 30 June 2025 for a stay of up to 90 days (the maximum allowed for third-country nationals). But after The Independent investigated the case of a passenger who was turned away from the Norwegian airline from London Gatwick to Copenhagen even though her papers were in order, it has emerged that Denmark is applying its own set of rules. The authorities are combining the two validity rules, even though that is incorrect. Copenhagen police insist that a British passport must 'be no older than nine years and nine months from the date of issuance'. They say: 'Schengen also does not recognise extensions of 10-year passports. Once the document is nine years and nine months old from the date of issuance, it is invalid.' As The Independent has repeatedly pointed out to the Danish authorities, such a policy contravenes the Schengen area rules. A spokesperson for the European Commission in Brussels confirmed: 'Denmark is bound by the relevant Schengen rules and the interpretation given in the Practical Handbook for Border Guards like any other Schengen State.' The handbook says a passport 'must have been issued within the previous 10 years'. It stresses: "The requirement that the travel document must have been issued within the previous ten years must be fulfilled at the day of entry (but not necessarily during the stay), provided that its validity extends until the end of the stay plus three months.' Norwegian, the airline, continues to turn away British passengers from flights to Denmark whose passports are valid but which contravene the rules confected by the Danish authorities. The carrier links London Gatwick and Edinburgh with Copenhagen. Last month, police in Norway confirmed that they had wrongly deported a British tourist because border officials misunderstood the rules. The visitor was detained for three hours and put on a flight back to Edinburgh the following morning. A spokesperson for Norwegian said: 'We regret the disruption to our passengers due to inconsistent interpretation of Schengen passport rules by the Nordic countries. 'As an airline, we must comply with local border control directives, which are currently unclear. We have urged the authorities to provide clear, unified guidance to airlines, in order to prevent further passenger issues and avoid penalties for our company.' Any British traveller whose passport is valid but over nine years and nine months can simply cross to Denmark from Germany or Sweden to avoid the usual border checks.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Minsters beg European countries to allow Britons to use e-gates ahead of summer holiday exodus
Ministers are begging European countries to allow Britons to use e-gates before the summer holidays because the deal agreed with Brussels will not start soon enough. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to European counterparts including Greece urging them to allow Brits to use e-gates 'now'. In a letter to Greece's deputy foreign minister, he wrote: 'It would be greatly appreciated if Greece could also offer access to e-gates where they are available at the border as soon as possible, including on a temporary basis now.' Mr Thomas-Symonds added: 'Being able to use e-gates at Greece's airports would be a significant symbol of the friendship our two countries share.' Announcing his reset with Brussels, Sir Keir Starmer said the move to allow British travellers to use European e-gates was one of the key elements of the deal. The Government said there would not be any legal barriers to British travellers using more e-passport gates in EU countries. The Prime Minster said: 'This partnership helps British holidaymakers, who will be able to use e-gates when they travel to Europe, ending those huge queues at passport control.' But the Association of British Travel Agents has said the deal 'won't impact this summer'. British tourists are expected to have to endure passport-stamping queues in most EU countries until at least October and possibly well into 2026 as the e-gates implementation will be phased. So ministers have started asking the individual countries instead to allow early access to their e-gates. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: 'The Prime Minister has lied to British public yet again. 'His claim that he joyfully made on Monday that British tourists would benefit from his EU surrender agreement by getting through e-gates when they travel to Europe was just another blatant Starmer lie. 'The facts are as follows: Europe has followed in Britain's footsteps by developing an electronic entry and exit system and this has been under way for a number of years and is due to fully launch in October. 'It is a fact that some airports already allow UK passport holders to use e-gates, and this new agreement doesn't guarantee anything further. 'Each EU country retains the right to decide individually, meaning there's no certainty, no timeline, and no real improvement secured.'
Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Times
When can UK travellers use EU passport e-gates? What we know so far
British passport holders will be able to use e-gates at more European airports soon as part of a new UK-EU deal, the Government has announced, in a move that it says should end 'the dreaded queues at border control'. The EU has promised to ease checks on British travellers at borders and to drop objections to allowing British tourists using e-gates. The deal says 'there will be no legal barriers to e-gate use for British nationals travelling to and from European Union' after tougher biometric checks come in later this year. Since Brexit, British travellers arriving at EU airports have generally been forced to queue for manned desks to have their passports stamped, rather than use automated gates with facial recognition technology. This has led to many passengers facing long queues, particularly during peak periods. Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said the announcement was 'a significant breakthrough for British travellers'. Meanwhile, Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA — the Travel Association said that the UK-EU agreement 'will make it easier for travellers, cutting down on queues and pre-holiday admin'. Got a trip coming up? Here's what you need to know about the changes. After the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, British travellers started being considered as 'visa-exempt third-country nationals' when it came to arriving and departing EU airports. This meant that British travellers could no longer use the passport e-gates, and instead had to join (an often longer) queue for a stamp in their passport and a manual check by EU border officials. British passports can currently be used at e-gates in the EU at a limited number of airports in Spain and Portugal. Following the new UK-EU agreement announced on Monday, May 19, British citizens will soon be allowed to use e-gates at many European airports, which is expected to reduce waiting times. It is also unclear whether member states will be required to give British travellers access; the deal only promises 'use of e-gates where appropriate'. The EU is planning to launch its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025, which will replace the need for people arriving in the EU from non-member countries such as the UK to have their passports stamped. Instead, they will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database, with the data stored for three years. If passengers refuse to supply it, they will be denied entry. It is therefore likely that more EU airports will allow British travellers access to the e-gates after the launch of the EES, as this will remove the need for passports to be stamped and remove any legal barriers to access. Note that a select number of EU airports already allow this with additional checks in place. Travellers should also note that this new agreement will not change the current '90-day-rule'. Eligible non-EU citizens are allowed to spend 90 days in any 180-day period in the EU without a visa; the EES will digitise travel records to ensure that this limit is not breached, while increasing border security. • Read more about EES here Yes — if you're a pet owner. The Government also announced that UK cats and dogs will be able to travel 'more easily' by 'eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip'. This is through the introduction of so-called pet passports. • When does the Etias scheme start for UK travellers? Everything you need to know• 100ml liquids rule: which UK airports have changed restrictions?
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
British passport holders to be allowed to use e-gates at more EU airports
British passport holders will be able to use e-gates at more European airports as part of a UK-EU deal, the Government has announced. Since Brexit, British travellers arriving at EU airports have generally been forced to queue for manned desks to have their passports stamped, rather than use automated gates with facial recognition technology. This has led to many passengers facing long queues, particularly during peak periods. The issue has been described as one of the most visible impacts of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. After the agreement with the EU, the Government said in a statement: 'British holidaymakers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control.' Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said the announcement was 'a significant breakthrough for British travellers'. She told the PA news agency: 'The frustrating experience of lengthy border control queues upon arrival has been a persistent challenge for many, so the expanded access to e-gates across Europe comes as a tremendous relief. 'With this streamlined system in place, we anticipate both holidaymakers and business travellers will enjoy a much smoother, more efficient airport experience, allowing them to begin their journeys without unnecessary delays.' Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, said: 'This is excellent news for British holidaymakers and will enable an even smoother passenger experience for families travelling to the EU.' British passports can currently be used at e-gates in the EU at a limited number of airports in Spain and Portugal. Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at travel trade organisation Abta, said: 'Since Brexit, Abta has been calling for changes that will make travel easier, and we're pleased to see the UK and EU agree these steps. 'The EU is home to the UK's favourite overseas holiday destinations, and travel between our nations creates a huge boost for the UK economy and is a big driver of growth.' The EU is planning to launch its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) in October. This will replace the need for people arriving in the EU from non-member countries such as the UK to have their passports stamped. Instead, they will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database, with the data stored for three years. There are fears this will cause queues at EU airports, as well as at the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel's terminal in Folkestone and London's St Pancras railway station, where French border checks are carried out before people embark on cross-Channel journeys. Mr Petherbridge said: 'It is vital we continue to see good co-operation between the UK and EU on the introduction of this scheme, to make it as streamlined as possible for UK travellers.' The Government also announced that UK cats and dogs will be able to travel 'more easily' by 'eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip'. This is through the introduction of so-called pet passports.
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
UK's Starmer seeks EU reset on e-gates, food trade and defence cooperation, balancing concessions with benefits for Britons
PM Starmer to host EU leaders tomorrow UK seeks to balance concessions with benefits for Britons UK travellers could get access to airport e-gates Polls show a majority regrets voting to leave EU LONDON, May 18 — Britain hopes to secure a reset deal with the European Union tomorrow that would boost defence and security cooperation, and smooth the arrival of people and also food into the bloc, its chief negotiator said today. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host EU leaders in London on Monday in the most significant effort to reset ties since Britain left the EU in 2020 after four years of acrimonious divorce talks. Wary of reigniting domestic battles over Brexit, and with its chief campaigner Nigel Farage a fierce political rival, Starmer is trying to secure a deal that will include tangible benefits for Britons to offset the concessions it will need to make to Brussels. Britain wants the deal to include the use of faster e-gates for British travellers at EU borders, reduced red tape on food trade, and a new defence and security partnership that could allow British companies access to an EU loan scheme worth €150 billion (RM717 billion). It also hopes to agree closer ties on energy and carbon markets, better cooperation on migration smuggling gangs, the mutual recognition of certain professional qualifications, as well as access for touring artists and data sharing. In return, it is likely to agree a limited youth mobility scheme to enable young people in Britain and the EU to live and work in each other's countries, a British return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, and a longer-term agreement on fishing. While the outline of the defence and security pact is likely to emerge on Monday, it remains unclear how many other elements will be signed off by then. EU ambassadors were due to meet to discuss the final terms today. 'We want a deal that makes a difference for the British people,' Britain's EU negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds, told Sky News. 'What we are looking to deliver tomorrow is a deal that is going to be good for jobs, that's going to help to secure our borders, and it's going to help to lower household bills.' Polls show that a majority of Britons regrets voting to leave the EU in 2016 and, while there are political risks in moving closer to Brussels, the government says Russia's invasion of Ukraine and uncertainty around US protection for Europe mean new alliances are needed. The government has also made growing the economy its number one priority. A refusal to rejoin the EU's single market and customs union will limit the economic impact, but easier and faster trade across UK-EU borders will help. Starmer's government, which has struggled since it was elected last July, also secured a free trade deal with India earlier this month and persuaded US President Donald Trump to reduce tariffs on some sectors. — Reuters
