article_detail
Date Published: 28/02/2023
ARCHIVED - New EU border scanners to be rolled out in airports by the end of the year
The system aims to prevent UK and other third country nationals overstaying in Spain
Fresh delays have hit the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES), meaning that the new border control equipment won’t be rolled out in airports in Spain, or elsewhere, until the end of this year. The system was originally meant to come into force in 2022 but it now looks like it will be implemented around the same time as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a visa-waiver that non-EU citizens who don’t require a visa will have to apply for before travel.
The EES will require passengers from the UK and other non-EU nations to scan their documentation at the border, something which many travellers believe will clog up the security checks at airports even more. The objective, though, is to cut down on those overstaying based on the 90 days in 180 rule, since the Entry-Exit System will log the date of each trip.
Permanent residents in Spain or those on long-term visas won’t need to use the self-service scanners; only UK and other non-EU travellers who don’t require a visa to enter will have to go through the process.
Passengers entering all EU member states except for Cyprus and Ireland will need to pass through the EES. Four non-EU countries in the Schengen zone will also implement the system: Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
While airlines are generally supportive of the move, most agree that more time is needed to get the new technology up and running and to ensure that staff are trained in its use.
“The EES will be a game changer for how the EU’s borders are managed. There are, however, a number of issues which must be resolved to ensure a smooth roll out and operation of the new system so that air passengers do not face disruptions,” a joint statement from the main players in the aviation industry said.
The EES is closely linked with the ETIAS visa waiver, which will come into play in November this year, although the European Commission has suggested that it may be early 2024 before it’s mandatory across the Schengen area.
Find all the latest travel and tourism news right here
Image: Archive
Loading
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268