UK Holidaymakers Will Face A €7 EU Visa Waiver Starting Next Summer

• From mid-2025, UK travelers will need a €7 ETIAS visa waiver for visits to the Schengen Area and other European countries. The waiver will be valid for up to three years.
• Starting November 10, 2024, the EU’s Entry/Exit Scheme will require non-EU travelers to register fingerprints and a photo instead of passport stamps, possibly increasing border processing times.

The EU plans to introduce this €7 visa waiver for British travelers by the summer of 2025. According to the EU’s official website, the scheme is set to begin “in the first half of 2025” and will include travelers from over 60 non-EU countries, including the UK.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, in comments first reported by The Times, suggested that the visa waiver might be in effect by the May half-term holiday in 2025. She confirmed that the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES), requiring non-EU travelers to register fingerprints and a photo instead of getting a passport stamp, will start on November 10.

Under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), travelers must apply for a waiver similar to the US ESTA before their journey. This waiver will be valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

The waiver will cover travel to the Schengen Area, which includes all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

A spokesperson from the Home Office stated that the EU is expected to provide further details on the scheme’s rollout in due course. This update follows the EU’s launch of the much-anticipated EES scheme, which has faced several delays.

In a statement, Ms. Johansson said, “After intense dialogues with Member States, with you, with the different stakeholders – I have decided that the Entry/Exit System will enter into operations on 10 November.” According to The Times, she indicated that the ETIAS visa scheme would be launched six months later.

Ms. Johansson added that the EES system would enforce strict digital border controls at “every single airport,” “harbour,” or “road into Europe.” She noted that more than 700 million tourists visited Europe last year, and the new systems would help Europeans “sleep safer.”

The new rules will help authorities monitor if individuals overstay their visas and will make it more difficult for criminals, terrorists, or Russian spies to use fake passports, she added.

What is the EES scheme?

Under the EES scheme, travelers entering the EU will need to register their fingerprints, a photo, and passport details. This initial registration will be valid for three years and must be validated each time someone crosses the border, replacing the need for passport-stamping.

However, experts have warned that the new system could lead to long queues, adding at least two minutes to the current processing time of 45 seconds per passenger.

French border police conduct passport checks as people leave the UK to cross the Channel from Dover, London St Pancras, and Folkestone due to juxtaposed border controls.

What is the ETIAS scheme?

Currently, travelers from non-EU countries must apply for a visa unless they are from a special list of 61 countries, including the US, Japan, Australia, and the UK.

People from these countries can travel within the EU’s Schengen zone—where border checks are not required—for up to 90 days without a visa.

Due to the migrant crisis and security concerns related to terrorism, the EU has decided to implement more controls.

This has led to the introduction of the ETIAS, which the EU Commission points out is “way cheaper” than the $14 US ESTA.

The ETIAS will permit travel to the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

An ETIAS will be valid for three years and allow for unlimited entries. Border guards will check the document when crossing the EU border.

The EU says the ETIAS system will “strengthen security checks on those persons who travel visa-free to the EU.”

What will UK holidaymakers have to do?

Travelers will need to apply online or via a mobile app. The form—which the EU describes as a “necessary and small procedural step”—will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Applicants will need to provide passport information and answer background questions about criminal records or medical conditions.

More than 95% of applications will be automatically approved within minutes. However, in some cases, it may take up to 72 hours, and in exceptional circumstances, it could take up to four weeks to process or be denied.

The fee will apply to anyone aged 18 to 70, while the waiver will be free for children and those over 70.