Britons will be denied use of e-gates across EU until October at earliest despite Brexit reset deal
21 May 2025, 01:58 | Updated: 21 May 2025, 05:46
British travellers venturing to the EU will not be allowed to use dedicated e-gates until October at earliest, despite Starmer striking a Brexit reset deal.
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Britons venturing abroad this summer will continue to face lengthy and tiresome queues at airports and travel hubs, with travellers forced to wait for passport-stamping when entering a bloc nation.
It's been revealed current stamping procedures will continue until October at the earliest, with possibly of travellers being forced to endure waits for passport checks at the border until well into 2026.
It comes despite the e-gates agreement forming a pivotal element of Starmer's Brexit reset deal, unveiled on Monday following the EU-UK summit in London.
Speaking on Tuesday, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said: "Nothing is going to happen before that's [the new scheme] in place.
"The EU is introducing this new entry and exit scheme so nothing is going to happen before that's in place, and that's not yet in place. They've put the date back for that a few times, the latest date is the autumn, let's see if that's stuck to."
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According to the finer details of the agreement, there will be “no legal barriers to e-gate use for British nationals travelling to and from EU member states after the introduction of the EU entry/exit system (EES)”.
However, any such measures won't come into force for travellers until the Autumn at the earliest, with the implementation phased in over a six month period - meaning many will not be able to use e-gates until April 2026.
As part of the agreement, Sir Keir Starmer insisted the agreement would green light the use European e-gates for British travellers.
“This partnership helps British holidaymakers, who will be able to use e-gates when they travel to Europe, ending those huge queues at passport control,” he said.
After details of the deal surfaced, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) was quick to clarify that the deal “won’t impact this summer”.
It added that the agreement suggests EU member states will decide individually when the “wet stamping” of passports would cease.
It comes as Starmer declared the UK and EU are “looking forward to tomorrow” and not re-litigating Brexit, as the PM defended a new trade deal on Tuesday.
The agreement, branded a rollback on Brexit by many in opposition, was hailed as a "betrayal" by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday.
Writing for LBC, she said Britain's fisherman will now pay the price for the deal, noting: "Starmer has pre-emptively handed over access to our waters for up to twelve more years. No renegotiation. No leverage. No vision. A quiet extinction of a great British industry."
