site.btaPassport Checks in EU to Become Fully Automated From October

As of October, manual passport checks for travellers from non-Schengen countries will be abolished and self-service border checks will be used, said a European Commission spokesperson on Tuesday in response to questions. In the coming days EU countries are expected to confirm their readiness to introduce the new system (EES), and then a date will be set for the switch to fully automated border controls checks.

The EC has already announced its plans to launch the new system by November 10, the spokesman said. The system involves linking the different databases. Millions of visitors to Europe will travel faster and easier. With this system in place, passports will no longer have to be checked manually, speeding up queues and electronic checks, he added.

The spokesman said that next spring, the travel authorization system for travel to the EU by citizens of more than 60 countries around the world, which do not require a visa for short stays, is expected to be operational. Approvals issued by this system will be valid for three years or until the expiry date of the passport whose number is given when they are applied for.