New £6 'visa' to enter Europe and thumbprint entry date both confirmed

The date for the new £6 ETIAS permit, which will be required for UK citizens to travel to Europe, has been confirmed. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is necessary for Brits travelling to countries like Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.

This comes as a new EU digital border system is expected to launch in October 2024. It will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use. It was initially delayed until 2025, but has now been brought forward, reports BristolLive.

Under the entry/exit system, passengers would have to agree to fingerprinting and facial image capture the first time they arrived on the continent. The data, including any record of refused entry, should allow quicker processing, according to travel bosses.

The EU Council said: "The new roadmap for the delivery of the new IT architecture foresees that the Entry/Exit system will be ready to enter into operation in Autumn 2024 and that ETIAS will be ready to enter into operation in Spring 2025."

The launch of the ETIAS system has been pushed back to May 2025 due to unexpected delays. It is a requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the 30 EU countries, including UK citizens and will cross-check applicant information with other EU systems to enhance security.

The 30-day wait means that travellers who forget to purchase their ETIAS may not have enough time to get one before their holiday. A permit will cost around seven euros, with exceptions for applicants over 70 and minors (18 or under), who will receive it for free.

The EU has explained: "Recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for better management of who is entering EU borders. The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience.

"To reduce procedures and wait times and address security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution, ETIAS. The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country.

"While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat.

Reasons the ETIAS can be denied to UK citizens:
You have a criminal background, pose a danger to society, or are on a travel watchlist about suspected terrorists
You provide fraudulent information during the application
You are travelling from an area with an epidemic/pandemic outbreak and could be a danger to public health