Travel association ABTA has published new information for members and travelers on the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), to help them prepare for, and understand, the changes.
EES is a new electronic system that will replace the physical stamping of passports on arrival into EU/Schengen countries, and is expected to go live in the autumn of this year. ETIAS is the EU’s new travel authorization that people will need to apply for ahead of their travels, it is scheduled to be introduced in 2025.
ABTA says that, as these are two big changes affecting the UK’s most popular travel destinations, it is important members are aware of what is happening and what the changes mean for their customers. To help, a new hub specifically on EES and ETIAS has been published in the ABTA Member Zone. This includes a Q&A document on questions that have been raised by members about the introduction of the new schemes. ABTA will be using this new hub to communicate with members about what they need to know about the new systems, with additional details added when they are available.
There is also new online advice for consumers, which ABTA says will continue to be updated as and when more information becomes available.
Once ETIAS is launched, air carriers will be required to verify, within 48 hours before departure, that visa-exempt travelers have a valid ETIAS travel authorization.
The verification will take place electronically through a new tool – the carrier interface – that the EU will provide. To use the interface, carriers will need to register with eu-LISA, the EU agency responsible for the system. Currently over 1,000 carriers have completed the registration process.
The new verification process means that travelers will not be allowed to board their plane if they do not have a valid ETIAS. Carriers may be held liable and subject to penalties if they transport passengers without valid travel documents. The penalties are determined by the relevant member states.
In related news, the European border and coast guard agency Frontex has recently invited the industry to share technological developments in relation to the future European Entry/Exit System (EES), which will register the entry and exit of most non-Schengen nationals at the European Union’s external borders. Click here to read the full story.