European Union EES visa scheme explained for UK travellers — entry fee, launch date, and more
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As the curtains begin to close on 2024, you might already be planning ahead for a summer 2025 getaway. But heading to Europe next year will be a little different for Brits, thanks to a new visa scheme called EES. As it stands, visitors from the UK can visit the EU’s Schengen area (a borderless collective of 29 countries) for up to 90 days, every 180 days, without a visa.
![[Majestic touristic village on the hill with colorful mediterranean buildings. Fantastic travel and photography place at sunset, Vernazza, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy, Europe]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1433633513.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The new scheme means anyone travelling to popular tourist hotspots including Portugal, Spain and Greece, will need to apply — and pay a €7 (around £6) visa waiver charge. Here’s everything you need to know about the new visa scheme if you’re a UK citizen before you jet off, from the entry fee to the launch date.
![[Tourism sailing boat in Lake braies, Dolomite, Italy.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1022603156.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
EES is an automated system that registers travellers from non-EU countries every time they cross a border into or out of the EU. The system will register the person’s name, the type of travelling document they’re using, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images), and the date and place of entry and exit.
Once the data has been captured, it’s expected to remain in the system for three years. After this time has passed, it will be erased from the system. Travellers won’t need to re-register this data if they travel to multiple Schengen Zone countries within the three-year period.
