Passport Validity
Ensure you check your passport and travel documents before your travel. You must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
Your passport must be:
- Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- Valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
In due course, the EU will implement the Entry/Exit System (EES), a new digital border system that will affect travel requirements for British nationals visiting the Schengen area.
When travelling to a Schengen area country with a UK passport, you will need to register your biometric data, such as fingerprints or a photograph, upon arrival. This new system will replace the current passport stamping method used for non-EU nationals. The EES will electronically log entry and exit details, including dates, personal identification, and travel document information. This digital record will enhance border security, help prevent overstays, and make travel smoother for legitimate visitors. It will also aid in controlling irregular migration and enforcing visa regulations across the Schengen zone.
During your first trip to a Schengen country, you will need to create a digital profile by submitting your fingerprints and having your photo taken at designated kiosks at the port or airport of entry. However, no prior registration is required before your trip.
While the EES is designed to streamline border checks, there may be longer wait times when arriving at Schengen airports. Once your biometric data is recorded, the digital record will remain valid for three years. If you return to the Schengen area within that period, you will only need to verify your identity with a fingerprint or photo when entering and exiting.
The EES is part of broader EU efforts to enhance border security. By 2025, the EU will also introduce the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). At that time, UK passport holders will need to apply for travel authorisation to enter Schengen countries, providing personal information, trip details, and paying a €7 fee as part of the process.
More details can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system.
Travel Restrictions Update
There are currently no travel restrictions to any of our destinations.
Holiday Guides
We have prepared handy holiday guides which you can download onto your device and read at your leisure. Please see our Summer Holiday Guide or Winter Holiday Guide
We hope you have a great holiday!
Updated November 2024
