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European Union

Passport Queue Blues: How the UK's Post-Brexit Deal Affects British Travellers at EU Airports

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

British travellers face lengthy queues at EU airports due to stringent checks, while EU citizens breeze through with ease, sparking concerns about the UK's post-Brexit deal. The separate lanes for EU citizens are made possible by e-gates that match travellers' faces with biometric information on their passports. However, for British travellers, the process is slower and more manual, raising questions about the UK's ability to access the EU fast-track queue.

Key Takeaways:

  • UK passport holders are "visa-exempt third-country nationals," joining dozens of other nationalities from Australia to Venezuela in the "other nations" queue, while EU citizens enjoy fast-track lanes.
  • British travellers join lengthy queues at busy airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Milan Malpensa, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while EU passport holders or identity card holders speed through.
  • UK travellers face problems when returning home due to the need for exit checks, sometimes missing flights due to slow exit queues.
  • The only checks for EU citizens are that their travel document is valid and belongs to them, which can be easily done with e-gates that match the traveller's face with biometric information.
  • Under the Schengen Border Code, EU citizens are entitled to separate lanes, indicated by uniform signs, to reduce waiting times.
  • Legal requirements and European unhappiness about allowing British travellers to use EU lanes hinder their potential access to the fast-track queue.
  • Accelerating the passport process for UK travellers could be achieved by using e-gates or allowing them to use EU e-gates with subsequent checks by border guards.
  • Using e-gates is a win for both host countries and British travellers, as it allows authorities to process routine passengers more swiftly.
  • At Amsterdam Schiphol, Lisbon airports, and some other European countries, British passport holders or "safe" countries are already using e-gates followed by officer checks.
  • UK ministers hope for the European Commission to encourage individual nations to upgrade their border systems, which would accelerate the roll-out of e-gates for British travellers.
  • The EU entry-exit system is separate and involves digital registration of comings and goings, requiring third-country nationals like British visitors to provide facial biometrics and fingerprints, which could slow down processing times.
  • The entry-exit system is scheduled to begin in October, aimed at detecting over-stayers and keeping tabs on arriving and departing travellers.
  • Fingerprinting may not be necessary with advanced facial recognition technology, which could accelerate the processing time.
  • Irish passport holders can continue to use the fast track and will only have their passport checked for validity and ownership.

Statistics:

  • 90% of EU citizens use e-gates for passport control, speeding up the process.
  • 70% of passengers arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol use e-gates, with 80% cleared within 30 seconds.
  • The estimated processing time for a planeful of passengers at Palma airport under the EU entry-exit system could be four times longer than currently.
  • 85% of UK travellers face lengthy queues at EU airports, while only 15% have access to e-gates.
  • The UK has already upgraded its border systems in some airports, reducing processing times for travellers.

Sources:

  • Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent
  • European Union Relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds
  • The Schengen Border Code of the European Union

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