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“British holidaymakers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control” – so says the government after the “post-Brexit reset deal” was agreed between the UK government and the European Union.Ministers have been talking up the prospect of speeding up passport formalities for British travellers at EU airports.Nick Thomas-Symonds, European Union Relations minister, says it will give British travellers “more time to spend on holiday or work trips… doing what you want, not being stuck in queues”.But how will it work – and when might UK passport holders notice? Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, has had plenty of time to contemplate the subject while waiting in long queues at EU airports.What are the rules for UK passport holders travelling to and from the EU?After the 2016 vote to leave the European Union, the UK negotiated for British travellers to be “visa-exempt third-country nationals” – the same as dozens of other nationalities from Australia to Venezuela.Despite some newspaper claims that “Brussels is forcing Brits to queue”, we actually demanded the right to wait in line for longer – surrendering the right to fast-track lanes.While citizens of the EU and the wider Schengen area (including Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) speed through frontier formalities, British passport holders join the “other nations” queue.What does this mean in practice? If you fly into a European airport just after an Airbus A380 arrives from Dubai with more than 500 people on board, you’ll know that you’re going to be waiting for some time.Queuing for an hour or more for British travellers are not unusual at busy airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Milan Malpensa and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while holders of EU passports or identity cards speed through. UK travellers also face problems when travelling home, because of the need to be checked on the way out of the EU. Some airline passengers have missed flights because the exit queues for passport control are so slow.Why do passport queues move so slowly?For each UK arrival, EU frontier officials are required to check:The traveller has “sufficient means of subsistence” during the planned visitThey will not breach the maximum stay limit of 90 days in Europe in the past 180 daysThey have “the means to return to the country of origin” (ie a ticket out of the EU)In addition, the border guard must stamp the passport – which is also necessary on departure. What’s different for EU citizens?The Schengen Border Code of the European Union, which is the Bible of frontier rules, stipulates “separate lanes, indicated by uniform signs … in international airports” in order “to reduce the waiting times of persons enjoying the Union right of free movement”.Those separate lanes move quickly because the only check made for EU citizens is that their travel document is valid and that it belongs to them. This verification can be made swiftly and efficiently by e-gates which match the traveller’s face with the biometric information on the travel document.So how will the passport process for UK travellers be improved?British travellers are not currently allowed in the EU fast track queue as arrangements stand, because of two obstacles: The legal requirement for British travellers to be checked to ensure they meet the conditions of entry to the EUUnhappiness among Europeans if the British, who voted to surrender the benefits of membership of the European Union, are allowed to swerve into their lane and slow things downThe solution is to accelerate processing using e-gates – which is already being done.Two versions are currently being offered:Special “third-country national” e-gates, speeding up the face check for British and other nationalities. This happens in Rome.Allowing UK (and other favoured nations) passport holders to use the e-gates for EU citizens and British travellers are then flagged to see a border guard, as is the practice at Amsterdam Schiphol and Lisbon.Using e-gates is a win for the host country as well as for British travellers, because it allows the authorities to process routine passengers more swiftly.Facial recognition is now so sophisticated that matching the traveller against their passport is a task that e-gates can do easily and quickly, leaving officers to concentrate on “persons of interest”.What exactly have UK ministers negotiated?The exact wording is that “British holidaymakers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe” (my italics).The roll-out of e-gates to UK travellers is happening anyway, because it helps the authorities process travellers more efficiently, but that process could accelerate with new impetus from Brussels.But “more e-gates being agreed” and “rejoining the fast track passport queues” are by no means the same thing.Where did the idea that we would actually be able to join those fast-track lane come from?This is all to do with the EU’s much-delayed entry-exit system – which is now due to begin being rolled out in October.The plan involves every Schengen area external border being connected with a central database, with comings and goings registered digitally rather than through stamps in passports. The aim is to keep tabs on arriving and departing travellers and detect over-stayers more easily.Initially it will be something of a nightmare. The EES will require third-country nationals such as British visitors to provide facial biometrics and fingerprints. The time taken to process a planeful of UK passengers arriving at Palma could quadruple – and even longer at Dover and Folkestone for motorists heading across to France.On that subject: ministers and transport companies hope EU officials will accept that the latest facial recognition technology is so accurate that fingerprinting isn’t necessary – which would accelerate the whole process.In time, when the system is fully up and running, it is feasible that British passport holders will be allowed to go through an e-gate with no further check – because the database will know about previous comings and goings.When the Etias “euro-visa” comes online (no less than six months after the entry-exit system is running flawlessly) the digital infrastructure will also be able to verify if the traveller has a valid permit.Any change on the ‘90-day rule’?No. That limit remains firmly in place, and will be made easier to enforce with the entry-exit system.I have an Irish passport. What does this mean for me?Nothing changes: you are still able to use the fast track, and the EU border officer is allowed only to check that your passport is valid and that it belongs to you.For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast More

Ministers have ordered an urgent probe into the substation fire which forced Heathrow airport to close for 15 hours on Friday – as experts claimed the remarkable meltdown had “embarrassed” Britain on the global stage.The travel plans of up to 300,000 passengers were cast into disarray on Friday after the blaze at a single west London substation grounded more than 1,300 flights between Europe’s busiest airport and locations across the globe.While the airport declared itself “fully operational” once again on Saturday – with hundreds of extra airport staff rallied to facilitate an additional 10,000 passengers travelling through Heathrow – more than 100 flights were cancelled, including those travelling to New York and arriving from Dubai. Heathrow would typically expect to facilitate 600 flights on Saturday.Passenger aircraft operated by British Airways on the tarmac at London Heathrow airport on 21 March More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThe UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will apply to the vast majority of overseas arrivals – even those merely changing planes – by 2 April 2025.The new government says: “Everyone wishing to travel to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance of coming here. This can be either through an Electronic Travel Authorisation or an eVisa.”The ETA costs £10 and is valid for multiple entries to the UK over the course of two years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever is sooner; the eVisa is used by a minority of travellers who do not qualify for “visa-free” status.Ministers say rolling out the scheme worldwide will “prevent abuse of our immigration system”.The ETA will be needed even for those who are “airside” at Heathrow for a short time between international flights.For British travellers, there should be no direct impact. But travel industry figures say rules attached to the ETA will disadvantage UK airlines and tourism.These are the key questions and answers.What is planned?Most visitors to the UK need not go through the complex and expensive business of applying for a British visa; they simply turn up with their passport and apply for entry.But that is all changing with the new online permit. The Electronic Travel Authorisation will be mandatory for all “non-visa” overseas visitors to the UK – except for Irish nationals, who are allowed free movement under the Common Travel Agreement.The starting point of the journey to the UK is not relevant – it is the traveller’s nationality that counts.The ETA is loosely modelled on the US Esta and is electronically linked to the traveller’s passport. The cost is £10. The permit will be valid for repeated journeys within two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner.When is it happening?The roll-out began with Qatari nationals travelling to or via the UK on 15 November 2023. On 22 February 2024 the programme was extended to nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Jordan was later removed from the pilot scheme, for reasons that are unclear.Non-Europeans will need the permit to travel from 8 January 2025, with the ETA mandatory for European arrivals from 2 April 2025.How do travellers obtain an ETA?Online through a UK government website or via the app (search for “UK ETA” on the Apple app store or Google Play).You need to supply a photograph and answer a set of questions. The government says: “This will ensure we have information on those seeking to come to the UK helping to prevent dangerous individuals, such as criminals, entering the UK.”A decision on each case is expected “usually” within three days. In practice, existing similar schemes in the US, Canada and elsewhere deliver approval more quickly.Commercial sites that are designed to tempt applicants to pay additional fees have already appeared, such as etauk.uk, which is based in Spain and has no connection with the UK government.Who will check the ETA?For the majority of travellers, airlines and ferry companies will be expected to verify the ETA status before the passenger boards a flight or ship to the UK. They will be penalised if they fail to check.The government says: “Where an inadequately documented arrival (IDA) is brought to the UK, the carrier may be liable for a fine of up to £2,000.”Ferries from France to Dover, Eurostar trains to London and Eurotunnel shuttles to Folkestone have “juxtaposed controls” and UK Border Force staff will check the permit while the traveller is in Continental Europe.On arrival, UK Border Force will check the ETA and ask supplementary questions before deciding whether or not to allow the traveller in. The government says: “An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK.”Non-Irish and British travellers from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland will not face checks.What about transit passengers?The UK government has decided to become an outlier by insisting that all connecting travellers must obtain an ETA. This will make London Heathrow airport a more challenging transit hub than the main continental European competitors, plus airports such as Istanbul and Dubai.The almost-worldwide convention is that passengers who are connecting from one gate to another at a hub – not passing through passport control – need only meet the requirements for their final destination.But when the ETA scheme takes full effect next April, all passengers except British and Irish nationals will need a permit – even if they are simply switching from one British Airways plane to another at Heathrow Terminal 5, or making a connection between Star Alliance airlines at the airport’s Terminal 2.Travel industry experts predict overseas travellers with a choice of routings will switch to other hubs to avoid extra red tape and cost – harming Heathrow and leading to a slump in customers for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.About 30 per cent of passengers at Heathrow are in transit.Paul Charles, director of The PC Agency and former Virgin Atlantic communications director, said: “Taxing transit is tantamount to failure. If other airports offer free transit then they will pick up market share.“Airports should be zones of ease, enabling seamless travel. This proposed tax needs removing.”Rob Burgess, editor of the frequent flyer website Head for Points, says: “Why would anyone pay £40 for a family of four to get an ETA purely so they can transit in the UK on the way from, say, the US to Croatia? All of the other European hub carriers will be laughing as they pick up this business.”A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We don’t disagree with the long-term roll-out of the scheme, but including airside transit passengers will make the UK less competitive and harm economic growth.“We want to work in partnership with Home Office ministers over the next few months to address this issue, and learn from the lessons of the countries trialled, where we’ve seen the loss of a significant number of transfer passengers already.”What does the government say?The minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said: “Digitisation enables a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK who are predicted to contribute over £32bn to our tourism economy this year.“The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhance security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system.”Government online information about the new scheme says: “Requiring those transiting to obtain an ETA will stop transit being a future loophole for people to use to avoid needing an ETA. This is in line with the US Esta scheme.”If I’m changing planes in the US I need an Esta…There is a crucial difference: all passengers in transit through the United States are required to clear Customs & Border Protection and be legally admitted to the US. In theory they could decide, instead of transferring at Atlanta, Chicago or Houston, to stay in America for up to three months.This policy does not apply at Heathrow (or elsewhere in Europe) for international-to-international journeys. UK Border Force will not check passengers on arrival at Heathrow if they are continuing their journey internationally.Furthermore, few US airports rely on transit passengers for business in the way that Heathrow does.Besides the potential financial damage to airlines and Heathrow airport, the government decision could also impact British passengers. A number of routes and frequencies are viable only because of the volume of connecting passengers. If services are cut, choice will reduce and fares could rise. More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe last Tory rail minister has made a surprise intervention in the row over train driver pay – praising railway staff and saying he understands why Labour ministers chose to “cut a deal” with the train drivers.Last week the new transport secretary, Louise Haigh, reached an agreement with the train drivers’ union, Aslef, for a “no-strings” pay rise worth 15 per cent over three years.Members will begin voting on the offer, for which union leaders have urged acceptance, on 28 August. A large majority is expected in favour of the deal.But within 48 hours of reaching an agreement, Aslef announced fresh strikes by train drivers working for the state-owned East Coast Main Line operator LNER.The train drivers’ union says drivers will strike each weekend until 10 November following “a breakdown in industrial relations, bullying by management, and persistent breaking of agreements by the company”.Weekend strikes are planned on LNER services More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe government was warned unions will “keep demanding more” as fresh rail strikes were announced less than 48 hours after the train drivers’ union Aslef agreed a deal ending two years of disruptive action.Members working for LNER – the government-owned train operator on the East Coast main line – plan to walk out at weekends from 31 August to 10 November.The union says the 22 days of planned strikes are in response to “bullying by management and persistent breaking of agreements by the company”, but Tories warned taxes would have to rise to meet more union demands.On Wednesday Aslef and the government announced a settlement to the train drivers’ pay dispute that began in July 2022 and caused misery for thousands of passengers. At the time transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “When I took this job, I said I wanted to move fast and fix things – starting by bringing an end to rail strikes.”The LNER strikes are unrelated to that dispute, but government critics said the three-year offer to Aslef had set a precedent that would encourage further strikes.Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan-Smith told The Independent: “The government has basically shown itself to be quite soft in terms of pay rises, and the unions are going to keep demanding more.“We know where [the money] is going to come from – it’s going to come from higher levels of taxes and borrowing.“There’s only one solution in life: if you want to spend more, then you either have to tax more, borrow more or cut back on spending. It has to be one of the three options. It’s a very simply equation and they [Labour] don’t want to talk about it.“But right now there’s a plan to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners – pensioners’ incomes are going to be put to the sword.”Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last month that the winter-fuel allowance would become means-tested.Mr Duncan-Smith added: “It’s going to be tougher times ahead.”Tory leadership candidate James Cleverly said the Labour government had been “played by its union paymasters”.The shadow home secretary said: “This latest wave of strikes will be devastating for families who rely on train travel to see their loved ones.”Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said on social media that Ms Haigh “must be feeling really stupid as Aslef go on strike again after she’s just given them a massive no-strings pay rise”.Some commentators accused unions of holding the country to ransom.When she hailed the end of the train drivers’ strike, Ms Haigh said: “The Conservatives deliberately dragged strikes out for two years, causing misery for passengers, damaging our economy and costing the taxpayer as much as £850m in lost revenue. Labour will always put passengers first.” This week’s deal agreed between the government and Aslef chiefs, which the union’s members will now vote on, is for increases of 5 per cent for 2022-2023; 4.75 per cent for 2023 to 2024 and 4.5 per cent for 2024 to 2025.It would raise the average train driver’s salary from £60,000 to £69,000.Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said of the new strikes: “The continued failure of the company to resolve long-standing industrial relations issues has forced us into this position. We would much rather not be here. “But the company has brutally, and repeatedly, broken diagramming and roster agreements, failed to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery, and totally acted in bad faith. “When we make an agreement, we stick to it. This company doesn’t. And we are not prepared to put up with their boorish behaviour and bullying tactics.”An LNER spokesperson said: “Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays.“We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations. We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry.”LNER is the main operator between London King’s Cross, Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland. Previous strikes by train drivers reduced services on the core line from London via York and Newcastle to Edinburgh to about 40 per cent.Passengers could switch to “open-access” operators Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains, which duplicate a number of LNER routes.The Independent has asked the Department for Transport for comment. More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightMillions of Britons are barred from entering the EU by post-Brexit passport rules that are set to cause chaos over the Easter holidays.With the getaway starting in earnest on Thursday, an estimated 2.4 million travellers have documents that can’t be used for trips to the EU because of the change in expiry requirements.Since Brexit, British passports must have an issue date less than 10 years old on the day of departure to the EU, and must have at least three months left before their expiry date on the intended day of return. But millions of passports issued prior to September 2018 have longer validity periods.Analysis by The Independent suggests 200 people every day are falling foul of this rule at UK airports, with thousands expected to see their holidays ruined over the upcoming break.The rule change follows Britain’s Brexit deal with the EU, which puts the UK into the “third country nationals” category – alongside Venezuela and Samoa – with different expiry rules than when it was a member state. It means Britons are being turned away at airports, ferries and trains bound for Europe even if they have previously travelled to the EU on the same document.The 17-day Easter break is a particularly busy time for British travellers and an estimated 6.4 million trips will be made from the UK to Europe – 1.6 million over the bank holiday weekend alone.Longer validity on older passports was a useful way to avoid wasting part of the life of a passport, since holders could renew up to nine months early without losing any time. But after the rules changed, many have been confused into believing they have more time on their current passports to enter the EU than they actually do.For example, anyone with a passport issued before 28 March 2014 will be prevented from going to Europe today, even if they have many months remaining before expiry. This confusing rule will potentially affect everyone whose passport was issued before September 2018: an estimated 32 million people.One traveller, Ruth Wade, was about to board a flight recently from Manchester airport to Zurich via Brussels for her son’s wedding. But she was turned away because her passport had gone over the 10-year limit.“I had already checked in for the flight 24 hours previously,” she told The Independent. “I handed over our passports at the desk. The woman from Brussels Airlines just looked at me and said, ‘You can’t travel on this passport, it’s expired.’“My reply was: ‘No it hasn’t, it doesn’t expire until October 2024.’ She then went on to say, the expiry date doesn’t matter, it’s 10 years from the issue date.”The passport had passed the 10-year mark by a matter of days.“ I was distraught,” Ms Wade said. “She looked at my husband and said, ‘You can go but she can’t.’“She didn’t offer any advice other than saying it had been all over the news. I don’t listen to or watch the news and I wouldn’t be taking any interest in a passport issue as my passport had seven months validity left on it.”Ms Wade was able to book a slot for a fast-track appointment at HM Passport Office in Liverpool, requiring a hotel stay and new tickets.“We need to get Zurich to see our son who is getting married. We have had to rebook flights, lost money on the initial flights. Upset and frustrated doesn’t even come close.”Official data shows that 706,000 passports were issued by HM Passport Office in March 2014. According to an Independent estimate, about 500,000 are adult passports and 80 per cent of those will be renewals which could have had the extra months added to them.With a life of about 10 years and six months for these 400,000 passports, and thus a six-month window for breaching the rule, around 2.4 million passports could be affected.Airports including Edinburgh, Newcastle and Bristol are already predicting their busiest-ever Easter, with 2 million people expected to fly from British airports between Good Friday and Easter Monday, most of them to the EU and wider Schengen area.Geneva routes will be extremely busy with winter sports fans, while Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Tenerife are the leading spring sunshine holiday destinations.Among city breaks, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris and Rome are the most popular. Dubai, Orlando and New York are the key longer-haul destinations.Proportionately there are significantly more family European trips over Easter: Turkey’s main season has yet to get going, and Egypt is not especially popular for short holidays due to the long flight time.Airlines insist it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they comply with the immigration rules of their destination. Travel insurers will not pay out for losses related to passport validity issues.A government spokesperson said: “It is quick and easy to renew your passport online or at a Post Office.“We advise all customers not to book travel without a passport that meets their travel needs.” More

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email The UK government has revealed more about its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – described as “a new requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK”. The government says: “By the […] More

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Britain’s teetering railways face more delays and cancellations because there is not enough money to maintain them, Network Rail has privately admitted. A leaked presentation obtained by The Independent says that the government’s funding plans for […] More