France is reportedly asking for a further delay to the new EU entry/exit system, which was due to be launched on 6 October 2024.
Executives from French airports have asked the European Union to push back the launch because of the Paris Olympics, according to SchengenVisa News.
L’Union des Aeroports Francais, which represents French airports, has said that since those in Paris can’t carry out any work between May and September, they won’t have time to install the kiosks required to collect passengers’ biometric data by October.
The European Union had requested that airports in all member states had equipment for the new Entry/Exit system (EES) in place by July this year.
The EES will replace the need for passport stamping for passengers from outside the EU, including the UK. Instead, passengers will have to provide a fingerprint and have their photo taken at the kiosks.
Once the EES is fully operational, non-EU citizens, including Brits, will need to apply for a visa waiver (ETIAS) to travel to member states. This was due to be launched in spring next year.
However, French airports are requesting that the launch of the EES is pushed back to the first quarter of 2025, says SchengenVisa News, meaning the introduction of the ETIAS could also be further delayed.
The EES was originally due to launch in 2021, but the deadline for airports to install the equipment has already been pushed back several times. When it is up and running and the new ETIAS is introduced, it is expected to cost British passport holders £6 each.
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Executives from French airports have asked the European Union to push back the launch because of the Paris Olympics, according to SchengenVisa News.
L’Union des Aeroports Francais, which represents French airports, has said that since those in Paris can’t carry out any work between May and September, they won’t have time to install the kiosks required to collect passengers’ biometric data by October.
The European Union had requested that airports in all member states had equipment for the new Entry/Exit system (EES) in place by July this year.
The EES will replace the need for passport stamping for passengers from outside the EU, including the UK. Instead, passengers will have to provide a fingerprint and have their photo taken at the kiosks.
Once the EES is fully operational, non-EU citizens, including Brits, will need to apply for a visa waiver (ETIAS) to travel to member states. This was due to be launched in spring next year.
However, French airports are requesting that the launch of the EES is pushed back to the first quarter of 2025, says SchengenVisa News, meaning the introduction of the ETIAS could also be further delayed.
The EES was originally due to launch in 2021, but the deadline for airports to install the equipment has already been pushed back several times. When it is up and running and the new ETIAS is introduced, it is expected to cost British passport holders £6 each.
The post Will the launch of new EU visa waiver be delayed again? appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
