British holidaymakers will be able to breeze through European airports this summer as part of a landmark deal allowing UK passport holders access to e-gates across the EU – a move hailed as a “significant breakthrough” for travellers.
Struck ahead of a major summit between the UK and the European Union, the agreement permits British citizens to use fast-track electronic passport gates typically reserved for EU and European Economic Area nationals. The decision is expected to dramatically cut queuing times and reduce travel-related stress for millions of Britons heading to the Continent.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the deal at a high-level UK-EU summit in Brussels on Monday, where he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in less than a week.
Until now, UK passports have only been accepted at e-gates in a select few airports in Spain and Portugal. This new arrangement marks a sweeping change, extending the fast-lane treatment across major European hubs in time for the peak summer holiday season.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, described the news as “a significant breakthrough for British travellers”, while Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade called it “excellent news” that would lead to “a smoother passenger experience” for families travelling into the EU.
However, the development comes just months before the EU’s long-anticipated Entry/Exit System (EES) is due to come into effect in October.
The EES will replace the current passport stamping process for non-EU arrivals – such as UK citizens – with a digital record that includes fingerprint scans and facial images. Travellers will be registered upon entry, with their biometric data stored for three years.
Concerns remain that the implementation of the EES could cause significant delays at key transit points like the Port of Dover, Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal, and London St Pancras, where French border controls are in place.
The broader UK-EU deal, which centres around security and defence cooperation, includes not only the e-gates provision but also access for British firms to the EU’s €125 billion defence fund.
Furthermore, red tape affecting food exports is set to be cut, and both sides have agreed to a “youth experience scheme” enabling young people to live and work across the Channel – although British officials have stressed that the programme will be limited in numbers and duration.
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Despite the agreement being largely welcomed by the travel and business sectors, it has already sparked political backlash.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage both denounced the deal as a “surrender”, vowing to overturn the agreement should they come to power.
The Conservatives have laid out strict conditions concerning fishing rights, a contentious point that reportedly threatened to derail negotiations. Among their “red lines” is maintaining exclusive access to British territorial waters and resisting any multi-year agreements that are seen to disproportionately benefit France.
With summer looming, the e-gate development is nonetheless expected to ease one of the biggest frustrations for British travellers since Brexit: the long queues at European borders.
As travel companies prepare for a surge in demand, the government hopes the agreement will be seen as a symbol of a more pragmatic and cooperative post-Brexit relationship with the EU – albeit one that continues to stir political divisions at home.
