Entry requirements change more often than most travellers check, and updates are usually announced with far less notice than most people leave when booking a trip. This article is kept as a running list, updated whenever a rule changes for a destination popular with UK travellers. Two changes affecting anyone travelling to the Schengen area are the ones to know about right now.

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) is already in place

The EU's new biometric border system is being rolled out across Schengen border crossings, with all external Schengen borders required to have it running by 10 April 2026. In practice this means your fingerprints and a photo are taken the first time you enter through a border operating the system, replacing the manual passport stamp. There's no fee for this and nothing to apply for in advance, it happens at the border itself.

The 90-days-in-any-180-days limit for UK visitors hasn't changed, but it's now tracked digitally rather than by counting stamps, so overstaying is easier for border authorities to spot than it used to be. Worth being precise about your dates if you're travelling across several Schengen countries in one trip.

ETIAS is expected to launch later this year

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a separate, additional requirement that's expected to start in the final quarter of 2026, though an exact date hasn't been confirmed. Once it's live, UK travellers will need to apply online before departure for a travel authorisation covering the Schengen area, similar in concept to the US ESTA.

  • Costs €20, and is free for anyone under 18 or over 70
  • Applied for online before you travel, most applications are processed quickly but it's worth doing a few days ahead rather than at the airport
  • Valid for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first
  • Doesn't replace a visa where one is already required, it's for the visa-free short stays UK passport holders currently make

It isn't live yet, so there's nothing to apply for at the moment. We'll update this the moment a confirmed launch date is announced.

Passport validity, still worth double-checking

Since Brexit, UK passports need to be less than 10 years old on the day you travel, and valid for at least three months after your planned departure date from the Schengen area. Any extra months added on by the old renew-early scheme don't count, only the passport's actual issue and expiry dates matter. Worth checking this properly rather than assuming, it catches people out at check-in more than almost anything else on this list.

Note on this article

Entry rules should always be checked against the destination government's official travel advisory close to your travel date, since requirements can shift with little warning. This list is updated as changes are confirmed, most recently for the EES rollout and the upcoming ETIAS launch.