According to a recent study performed in the UK by Co-op Insurance, 63% of participants are unaware of the EU EES, a new entry/exit system scheduled to go into effect in October 2024. Approximately 25% of the approximately 2,000 respondents to the survey said that the new system would be a barrier and would "put off" travel to the continent. The Entry/Exit System is being implemented as an effort to replace the manual stamping of passports with digitally checking the facial and fingerprint data of those who arrive for the first time in Europe.

Brits Will Soon Have to Be Checked to Travel to EU

All nationals of third countries that are travelling to the Schengen Area, including those in the visa-exempt programme and those under the visa regime, will be subject to this system. This includes British nationals, who as of 2020 are not part of the European Union, in a move known as Brexit. This means that Brits are also required to abide by the EES. The data by Co-op Insurance reveals that almost half (46 per cent) of respondents said they were not fond of the idea of their details being registered and remaining in the system for up to three years. Another 38 per cent pointed out that the possibility of long delays in getting checked through the system would make them contemplate their travel decisions. More than a quarter (27 per cent) pointed out that the most stressful part of the holiday is going through airport security checks, as well as the feeling of forgetting something (26 per cent). Another 24 per cent said meeting luggage allowances and weight is the most stressful part of their journey, as TTG Media reports. Data registered in the EES includes facial images, personal data as well as travel document data.