British Travellers to Use E-Gates at European Airports

British passport holders will soon be able to use electronic passport gates (e-gates) at more European airports, following a new agreement between the UK and the EU.

The deal, announced at a summit in London on 19 May 2025, aims to streamline border processes for UK travellers by reducing long queues at EU passport control.

What’s Changing?

Since Brexit, UK citizens have been treated as third-country nationals when entering the EU, requiring manual passport checks and stamps.

This has led to sometimes tediously long wait times at many European airports. The new agreement removes legal barriers, allowing British travellers to use e-gates once the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is operational.

The EES is a biometric system designed to replace manual passport stamping with digital records, including fingerprint and facial recognition data.

When Will E-Gate Access Begin?

While the UK government originally urged EU countries to implement the changes promptly, it is now scheduled to launch in October 2025, with a phased rollout over six months.

However, the actual implementation of e-gate access for UK citizens will depend on individual EU member states, so widespread availability may not occur until spring or summer 2026.

Currently, only a few EU airports, such as those in Spain and Portugal, offer limited e-gate access to UK citizens, often still requiring passport stamps.

What Does This Mean for Travellers?

Once fully implemented, the use of e-gates should speed up the border control process for British travellers, eliminating the need for manual passport stamping and reducing wait times.

However, until the EES is fully operational and adopted by individual EU countries, UK travellers should prepare for continued delays at passport control during the upcoming summer travel season.

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We will keep our clients informed about any changes regarding e-gate access and other travel-related updates.

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