British holidaymakers won’t need to pay a fee to enter the European Union until 2025 after the visa waiver scheme was delayed. The EU planned to launch the ETIAS scheme in 2024, meaning UK travellers would have been required to pay a fee to enter popular destinations such as Spain, Italy and France next year.
Alongside this, the EU’s Entry/Exit System has been delayed - believed to be the cause of the postponement of the ETIAS scheme. The EES is an automated IT border security system which will register travellers when they cross an EU external border. In order for the ETIAS scheme to function the EES needs to be in place.
“Due to unforeseen delays, it has become evident that this timeline is unattainable. As a result, the implementation of the ETIAS has been rescheduled to May 2025, with the possibility of further postponement.”