19-05-2025
Britons are to gain access to European airport e-gates (but there's a catch)
British holidaymakers should experience shorter queues at European airports after the Government negotiated an agreement for UK passport holders to use e-gates across the European Union.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the European Union Relations minister, told the BBC that the agreement will grant British travellers 'more time to spend on holiday or work trips… doing what you want, not being stuck in queues'.
Here is everything you need to know about how the new e-gate rules will impact your holidays, and when they will likely come into effect.
Why do UK passport holders need to join a slower queue?
Since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, British passport holders have been considered as 'visa-exempt third-country nationals' when arriving or departing EU countries. This means UK citizens have the same rights as passport holders from Australia and Venezuela.
At most EU airports British passport holders have to join the (slower) 'other nations' queue on arrival. UK travellers also currently face additional checks when departing EU countries.
Many British holidaymakers will experience considerably longer processing times at airports.
The reason for this is that since Brexit, EU border officials have been required to manually check that UK arrivals have sufficient means of subsistence, that their visit will not exceed the stay limit of 90 days over a 180-day period, and that the passenger has 'the means to return to the country of origin'. The guard must also now stamp the British passport.
It is worth noting that, since Brexit, travellers with EU passports arriving into the UK have continued to have access to e-gates across UK airports.
What exactly does the new agreement say on this matter?
The wording is as follows: 'The United Kingdom and the European Commission will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of e-gates where appropriate.
'They note that European Union citizens can use e-gates in the United Kingdom and that there will be no legal barriers to e-gate use for British Nationals traveling to and from European Union Member States after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System.'
So what will actually change at EU airports?
The agreement means that UK passport holders will be able to use e-gates previously reserved for arrivals from EU or European Economic Area countries (including Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
Some airports may opt to introduce new, special 'third-country nationals' e-gates to speed up the facial recognition part of the process. Others may allow UK passport holders to use existing EU e-gates.
When will UK passport holders have access to e-gates at EU airports?
According to the agreement the barriers preventing UK passenger access to e-gates will end after the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) (see below). After multiple delays it is expected that the EES will be rolled out from October 2025. Widespread change is unlikely to come into effect in time for the 2025 summer holidays.
Some European countries are already rolling out more e-gates at their airports in a bid to reduce passenger processing time. Others already allow UK passport holders to use e-gates.
Rome Fiumicino has special 'third-country national' e-gates in operation, and at Amsterdam Schiphol and Lisbon UK passengers are allowed to use the same e-gates as EU citizens, before going on for manual border official checks.
What is the EU Entry/Exit System?
Under the Entry/Exit System (EES), e-gates will capture fingerprints and facial scans of non-EU citizens entering the Schengen bloc, replacing the need for manual passport checks and stamps.
This means that, on first entry into an EU country, third-country nationals including UK passport holders will need to provide facial biometrics and fingerprints. Some fear this could lead to significant hold-ups at European airports after EES is rolled out. However, once the process is up and running, UK passport holders should be able to proceed through an e-gate without any further checks.
Separately, UK passport holders will soon have to get an Etias 'euro visa' (expected to come into effect six months after the EES).
The visa waiver will come with a one-off €7 fee
