EU Countries: Immigration Controls
The question
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 16 of his Department's policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the commencement of the EU Entry/Exit System on the use of eGates by (a) UK nationals and (b) other third party nationals travelling from the UK.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
Since the UK left the EU, UK nationals, as third-country nationals, cannot use eGates in most Schengen countries. The UK-EU Common Understanding confirms that there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). This is a positive step forward and we can now work quickly with Member States to get these arrangements in place and improve our citizens’ travel experience reducing lengthy and imbalanced queues at various entry points across the EU. We continue to work with the European Commission, France and local authorities to ensure we are prepared for the introduction of EES.
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