Major changes coming to how Aussies visit Europe

Australians travelling to Europe could look longer queues astatine nan separator amid a caller registration strategy for non-EU nationals.

From October 12, non-EU nationals who participate a European area of 29 countries, known arsenic nan Schengen Zone, will person to registry arsenic portion of a caller integer separator guidance system.

How is this apt to effect you?

What is nan Schengen Zone?

The Schengen Zone is made up of 29 countries - astir of which are located successful nan EU - that let travellers to move freely betwixt different Schengen countries without going done separator controls aliases getting a visa for each country.

The non-EU countries portion of Schengen are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Notably, nan United Kingdom, which near nan EU successful 2020, is not portion of nan Schengen Area, meaning each group entering nan state must spell done separator control.

What is changing and what is nan EES?

The European Union announces nan creation of a caller Entry/Exit System (EES) that will beryllium rolled retired later this year.

It requires non-EU citizens travelling for a short enactment (90 days aliases less) to registry pinch an soul system.

The strategy will cod passport data, recreation documents and different individual data, which will beryllium stored electronically.

For nan purposes of nan EES, 'non-EU national' intends a traveller not holding nan nationality of immoderate European Union state aliases nan nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway aliases Switzerland.

According to nan EU, nan EES will make travelling successful nan Schengen Zone much efficient, arsenic it will switch passport stamps pinch a modern integer strategy signaling nan introduction and exit of travellers.

They besides opportunity it will forestall irregular migration and usage biometric information to extremity those pinch clone identities aliases who are overstaying successful nan Schengen Zone.

The EES will besides springiness separator and rule enforcement much entree to traveller information, which they declare will thief find information risks successful nan conflict against coercion and different crime.

Which countries are involved?

Every state successful nan Schengen Zone will utilise nan EES system.

The countries are listed below:

EU Member States successful nan Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Romania.

Non-EU Countries successful nan Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

What will Aussies request to do erstwhile travelling to these countries?

Aussies will person to supply their individual information including their passport, and besides scan their fingerprints and get a photograph of their look taken.

The process tin beryllium made quicker if they usage a self-service strategy if disposable astatine their location, aliases they tin usage a mobile app if it's made disposable by their state of presence aliases departure.

Will these changes travel into effect consecutive away?

No, nan changes will beryllium rolled retired gradually, opening successful October this year.

Specifically, nan EES strategy will first beryllium utilized connected October 12, pinch countries slow rolling it retired astatine their outer borders.

It will beryllium successful afloat cognition by April 10, 2026.

A smartraveller authorities alert said: "You'll request to registry astatine borders and person your fingerprint and photograph taken. There whitethorn beryllium longer separator queues".

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