Before the planned 2024 launch of the EU's Entry/Exit System, ABTA's message was clear: travellers needed to expect a new border routine, not just another headline. The biggest early change was the first-time registration process, which was expected to slow some crossings before the system settled in.
Five years after the UK left the EU, mobility remains possible but less frictionless. New border routines, document checks, and incoming digital authorisation systems are reshaping how people move between Britain and Europe.
A 2026 protest threat by truck drivers in parts of the Balkans showed that the EU's Entry/Exit System was not only a passenger issue. The row highlighted how stricter digital enforcement of time limits in Schengen could affect freight, border flows and summer travel planning.
Five years after the UK left the EU, mobility remains possible but less frictionless. New border routines, document checks, and incoming digital authorisation systems are reshaping how people move between Britain and Europe.
ABTA's opening assessment for 2026 argues that travel businesses are entering the year with a crowded policy and operational agenda. Its five-priority list ranges from border systems and pricing rules to artificial intelligence, youth mobility and accessibility.
The EU Entry/Exit System replaces manual passport stamping with a shared digital record for many short-stay non-EU travellers. It combines biometric registration, automated checks and a phased rollout designed to modernise border management across the Schengen area.
The EU’s new digital border system will replace passport stamping for many non-EU travelers. Here is what EES does, who it affects and what travelers should expect at the border.
The EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System is meant to modernize border control, but travel industry groups say uncertainty, weak public awareness and operational risks could still delay the rollout and disrupt tourism.
The EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System is facing another delay, leaving many travellers unsure about when the new border checks will begin. Here is a clear overview of what the EES is, who it affects, and how it could change travel to the Schengen Area.
A new EU border regime is set to change how non-EU travellers enter France. For Britons with family, property or frequent stays across the Channel, the impact could extend far beyond a few extra minutes at passport control.