Ten years ago when Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to Remain in the EU – little did we know that on an advisory referendum and a vote in England and Wales to Leave – that Leave the UK would.

The EU is the largest Free Trade Market in the world – and that includes the free movement of not just goods but of people. Going on holidays or travelling to an EU country has changed because of that Brexit vote. Now we have a lot of Borders and the checks that go with them.

The UK Government’s Scotland Office has issued advice to travellers to EU countries as follows:

As schools in Scotland break up for the holidays, families heading to Europe are being advised to remember the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) and check with travel operators. 

EES replaces passport stamps, digitally recording each time a non-EU national enters or exits the Schengen area. This covers Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as all EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland.

It works by verifying your biometrics and passport details at the border.

In most cases, EES border checks occur at passport control on arrival in your destination country (your entry) and when you leave (your exit). 

However, if you are travelling from Eurostar – St Pancras, Le Shuttle – Eurotunnel at Folkestone or a ferry from the Port of Dover, entry checks take place before you leave the UK.

While EES checks should take a few minutes per person, queues may be longer at busy times – particularly during the peak summer months.

Travellers are therefore urged to follow advice from travel operators- including for your journey to your destination, onward connections, and when returning to the UK.

The first time you complete EES checks, you’ll need to register. Your passport and fingerprints will be scanned, and your picture will be taken.

Once registered with EES, you only need a passport scan and one form of biometrics (a photo or fingerprints scan) on entry and exit, speeding up journeys. 

EES registration lasts three years or when your passport expires, whichever is soonest. 

Travel Aware also provides up‑to‑date country‑specific advice, including entry requirements like EES. Travellers can sign up for email alerts for a country. 

More information on EES is available on GOV.UK and the EU’s Travel to Europe website.