A British woman has revealed the “reality” of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) that applies to all travellers heading to destinations within the Schengen area of the European Union.
The system, which has been operational since October in certain locations, is being progressively introduced across the continent. The EES is an automated IT system designed to register non-EU nationals travelling for short stays, recording each time they cross the external borders of these countries.
It will gradually replace passport stamps with a digital system that logs when travellers arrive and depart, streamlining border checks and enabling staff to operate more efficiently. Wendy Smyth, who is from Northern Ireland, recently put the EES through its paces while travelling to Malaga.
She took to TikTok to share footage of a notably packed airport in the popular Spanish destination. “Before you reach Passport Control, if you’re a UK national, you will need to register your biometrics on the system,” she explained. “There’s plenty of staff around to help you do this, and it involves taking your picture, taking your fingerprints and other information.”
Wendy proceeded to advise that the EES is expected to be fully operational across the entire Schengen region from tomorrow (April 10). “There’s plenty of signage around Malaga Airport,” she continued, before highlighting how travellers are subsequently divided into two separate lanes ahead of Passport Control – distinguishing between EU and non-EU citizens.
“If you’re unsure, there is a map beforehand, which will show you if you are a ‘blue country’ or not, what lane you should go in and likewise for ‘brown countries’,” Wendy said.
The queues presented a stark contrast in her clip. The left-hand side – designated for Britons – looked extraordinarily lengthy, while EU nationals were able to breeze through their lane effortlessly.
“You’re held in this queue before you get to the ramp to go through into Passport Control,” Wendy continued. “This is what may greet you whenever you go through those glass doors. If you’re an EU citizen you are able to walk down past everyone on the ramp and go to this empty space where the E-Gates are now operational – so be prepared – you may have to wait some time before you get through Passport Control.”
Writing in response, one TikTok user expressed astonishment: “I think this will put a lot of people off travelling.” A second individual voiced their annoyance: “I had my fingerprints and photo taken in Poland but arrived in Spain today and it didn’t recognise my passport.”
A third then vented: “Bet you lot who voted from Brexit back in the day are happy, this is what we need to deal with now.” While a fourth recounted their recent experience: “We went through Malaga on Tuesday and was through passport control in 15 mins. Seen the queues on TikTok and we had nothing!”
The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
