British tourists reaching the bloc could soon be able to use the EU passport gates again, the government of the UK said.
This announcement comes amid the negotiations between the EU and the UK to finalise the post-Brexit deal, Schenge.News reports.
If an agreement on the matter is successfully reached, Brits will no longer have to wait for long periods of time at manned desks to undergo controls. Instead, they will be allowed to use the fast-track electronic gates that are usually reserved for citizens of the EU/EEA.
This arrangement would significantly cut the period of time that British tourists spend waiting in queues and would increase the attractiveness of the bloc as a holiday destination.
Commenting on the matter, the UK’s EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, who has been leading negotiations with Brussels, said that the move would give British tourists more time to spend on holidays and work trips in the European Union without being stuck in queues, Euronews explains.
At the same time, the Minister also said that such an agreement would be sensible while adding that it would be good for jobs, bills, and borders. To strike a deal with the EU, Thoman-Symond noted that the UK would be willing to align some of the rules with the bloc, too, the Independent notes.
What we are looking to do, we don’t come at this from an ideological perspective, we come from a practical perspective. It means taking a sovereign choice as to the standards, the common standards we wish to align.
British Tourists Currently Must Join the “Other Nations” Queue at Border Control
Since the UK is no longer part of the EU, its passport holders currently fall under the category of visa-exempt third countries.
This means that UK nationals are eligible for visa-free entry into the bloc. However, when it comes to border controls, they must queue at the “other nations” lane.
Since this lane consists of many other nationalities, and during the controls, Britons also need to have their passport stamped, they often face border delays.
To deal with the delays, many EU airports have already installed e-gates for “third-country nationals”. Still, an agreement needs to be reached first in order for the UK’s passport holders to be able to use the fast-track e-gates.
The UK is also seeking to rejoin the EU pet passport scheme. By rejoining the scheme, the UK government wants to make it easier for its citizens to take their pets when travelling abroad.
The UK left the EU pet passport scheme in 2021, and since then, dog, cat, and ferret owners must meet a number of criteria and pay a fee to be able to take their pets with them.