Huge European country loved by Brits confirms date for new airport rules

Britons travelling to will soon be subject to a new security measure. Later this year, the European Commission will begin a phased rollout of a (EES) which will replace traditional passport checks with biometric data registration.

The has issued a travel alert for UK tourists as Portugal joins twenty other European countries in introducing the new EES in October 2025. Since , UK travellers have been considered ‘third-party nationals’ in the EU so they will be required to submit fingerprints and a facial scan upon arrival at borders in Portugal and .

The system was originally meant to be implemented across EU borders in November 2024. However, the launch was postponed after Germany and France both raised concerns about preparedness.

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The is being implemented to enhance border security and increase the efficiency of entry procedures. Another goal of the new system is to better identify travellers who have exceeded their permitted stay and better prevent irregular immigration and terrorist offences.

While the EES aims to improve safety and reduce illegal migration, travellers are likely to encounter longer queues as the system rolls out, especially at high-traffic crossings in , Faro, and . The Foreign Office has advised UK travellers to be prepared for these changes.

The advises that the process can be made quicker if you register some of your data in advance. You can do so at a dedicated self-service system (if available at your border crossing point).

You will not need to register your data every time you cross the . After the initial biometric data recording, a digital file will be created with your information which can use to verify (as opposed to collect) your fingerprints and photo. The EES will store these individual data files for 3 years and 1 day from the date of your last exit (or refusal of entry) into the EU.

EU travellers who already hold a short-stay won’t have to have their biometric data stored again on the EES, as their fingerprints are registered in the Visa Information System (VIS). Sadly, for passport stamp collectors, the new system means that passports will no longer be stamped by hand at border crossings.

Instead, each visitor’s arrival and departure will be logged digitally through a secure central database. This digital record will help border officials determine how long a person has stayed and whether they’ve exceeded the 90-day limit permitted for short-term visits.

The EES will record and store the following in each digital file:

• data listed in your travel document(s) (e.g. full name, date of birth, etc.)

• date and place of each entry and exit

• facial image and fingerprints (called ‘biometric data’)

• whether you were refused entry.