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Brits Traveling to France Warned of Delays Starting November 1

by DD Staff

October 23, 2024

Britons going to France

key takeaways

Schengen border restrictions will be restored starting on November 1 and would last for an additional six months, until April 30, 2025.

UK holidaymakers who want to go to France have been alerted to the possibility of delays starting on November 1, 2024.

Earlier this week, the French government declared that internal Schengen border restrictions will be restored starting on November 1 and would last for an additional six months, until April 30, 2025.

Travel experts have warned that British citizens visiting France from its bordering nations may expect to wait longer as a result of this decision, according to Schengen.News.

The chief executive of travel consultant The PC Agency, Paul Charles, stated that the inspections will increase the uncertainty and delays for British citizens, even if they will just be spot checks and not be conducted on every individual, as the Telegraph explained.

Charles further said the controls may put off Brits from travelling and, at the same time, expressed concern that other Schengen countries might decide to introduce tightened border controls.
It adds to delays and uncertainty when travelling and that puts off people from travelling. It is a retrograde step.
--The Chief Executive of Travel Consultancy The PC Agency Paul Charles

Charles also said he fears that these spot checks may become permanent, making it less convenient for Brits to reach the country.

Once the increased checks become effective, all UK passport holders are expected to be affected. Brits travelling by car or coach from Italy, Luxembourg, or Belgium may be affected more. In addition, those using Eurostar may also experience long waiting times during passport controls.

France Reinstates Border Controls to Tackle Terrorism and Irregular Migration

France notified the EU Commission that it was reintroducing border restrictions in an effort to provide greater internal security in the face of heightened terrorist threats and unauthorised migratory efforts.

All six Schengen neighbors—Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Luxembourg—will be subject to the restrictions.

This implies that any non-EU nationals wishing to travel from one of the aforementioned nations to France will need to go through security checks.

Shortly after the EU opted to postpone the implementation of its new border system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), France chose to implement border controls and maintain them until April 2025.

The EES was set to be launched on November 10 of this year. However, since some member states said that they were not ready for its implementation, the EU decided to delay the launch of the system for an undetermined period.

Instead, the EU authorities said that the system might be introduced gradually. Nonetheless, they did not disclose when any steps on the matter would be taken.