By Courtney Eales,Lynn Love
Copyright dailyrecord
Millions of British holidaymakers heading to Greece are being warned of upcoming changes following the introduction of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System on October 12. Tourists travelling into and out of the Schengen area for short stays may need to have their fingerprints and photo taken and answer the Schengen Border Code questions. Greece, along with 28 other countries, is a member of the Schengen Area. The area allows more than 450 million people to travel freely between member countries without going through border controls. Around 3.5 million people cross internal borders every day for work, study, or to visit families and friends. According to Liverpool Echo , almost 1.7 million of these people reside in one Schengen country while working in another . The new digital border system will change requirements for British citizens travelling to many countries. The European Council of the European Union said Europeans make an estimated 1.25bn journeys within the Schengen area every year. If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. The government warns that when you are flying to a country in the Schengen area, you may experience longer queue times when you arrive at your destination. Your digital EES record is valid for 3 years. If you enter the Schengen area again during this time, you will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border when you enter and exit. Your entries and exits, or entry refusals, will be electronically registered in the EES. The EES system is expected to make travel “simplified” and safer. Non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay to a European country using the EES are affected. Although there are exceptions which can be found here . Greece follows Schengen area rules, which means that your passport must: If you refuse to provide your biometric data, you will be denied entry into the territory of the European countries using the EES. Your data will only be kept in the system for the purposes for which it was collected. The data stored in the EES is protected against abuse and access to it is restricted to specific staff within national authorities. You should check with your travel provider to ensure that your passport and other travel documents meet the requirements. Travellers must also renew their passports if necessary. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
