The European Commission has stated that UK passport holders will not have access to e-gates at EU airports this summer due to a new border security scheme set to launch in October 2025. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) aims to enhance biometric data collection on citizens arriving from non-member countries, including the UK.
While the UK and EU have agreed that there will be “no legal barriers” to e-gate use for British nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after EES introduction, its implementation is uncertain. EU officials say it’s up to individual member states to decide when they can start using e-gates.
However, some countries already allow UK passport holders to use their e-gates without a secondary check or stamp. With the new deal, these procedures may be phased out, providing a smoother experience for travelers. The UK government has expressed its intention to work with EU member states to roll out EES as quickly as possible, starting talks with individual nations.
Despite initial expectations, some in the travel industry are surprised by the inclusion of e-gates in the deal, which they had thought would be automatically available to UK passport holders once EES begins.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7zzgdz3jgo