British holidaymakers are in for a smoother travel experience as a series of eGates have officially been launched just in time for the summer rush.
These new installations are set to significantly reduce waiting times for Brits travelling abroad, who have until now been subjected to long queues at manned immigration booths for passport stamping.
Earlier this month, Portugal unveiled their eGates at Faro Airport following an agreement secured by Prime Minister Keir Starmer with EU leaders.
France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and eleven other EU countries have now reopened fast-track eGates for UK tourists. Travel and Tour World has highlighted that holidaymakers can look forward to gliding through 14 European airports using the tech-savvy system designed to scan British passports and eliminate the need for stamps.
This reinvigorated access to eGates is akin to what British travellers enjoyed pre-Brexit, a convenience lost when the UK exited the EU. Subsequently, British travellers were downgraded to “visa-exempt third-country nationals” status, costing them the use of eGates across numerous European airports, reports the Daily Record.
Until this latest update, Britons were restricted to using eGates at a select few airports in Spain and Portugal only – leading to ‘nightmare’ queues and frustrations even before the peak season of July and August kicked in. Even at Faro Airport, before the eGates went live, there were reports of passengers enduring three-hour waits just to get their passports stamped.
This week, Sofia Airport in Bulgaria and Tallinn Airport in Estonia have opened their doors to British travellers.
Changes to the eGate regulations mean that 49 destinations will now allow Brits through their security systems, according to The Sun. This includes popular holiday spots such as Paris, Rome, Lisbon and Tenerife.
There were concerns that the gates wouldn’t be open for Brits until summer, with initial timelines set at October 2025 and a six-month roll-out from then.
Where Brits Can Use eGates
- France: Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon, Nice
- Italy: Rome Fiumicino, Ciampino, Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Venice, Naples, Florence, Bologna, Pisa, Cagliari, Catania, Palermo, Bari, Brindisi, Bergamo, Treviso, Verona, Turin, Olbia
- Spain: Alicante, Mallorca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Ibiza
- Portugal: Lisbon, Faro
- Germany: EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (shared with France)
- Belgium: Brussels Airport
- Netherlands: Amsterdam Schiphol (exit only)
- Cyprus: Larnaca, Paphos
- Ireland: Dublin
- Hungary: Budapest
- Czech Republic: Prague (Terminal 1)
- Finland: Helsinki
- Bulgaria: Sofia
- Estonia: Tallinn (starting next year)
- Eurotunnel/Eurostar: Folkestone Terminal, Calais Terminal, Port of Calais, Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord, London St Pancras