One of the simplest pleasures of travel used to be leafing through your passport, looking at the stamps from countries near and far, and recalling glorious memories of adventures.
Unfortunately, as digital immigration takes hold, these colorful stamps have fallen victim to the relentless march of technology – and the rest of Europe is next.
Passports will no longer be stamped at European border crossings from November 10, 2024, when the European Union (EU) moves to a biometric-based Entrance Exit System (EES).
“This would mean no more stamps in passports and digital checks would be introduced for all passengers from outside the EU,” EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson said.
“We will introduce digital border controls at all airports, all ports and on all roads into Europe,” which will be fully operational on November 10, “making travel easier and border checks gradually faster.”
These checkpoints will use digital photographs and fingerprints to register travellers from all non-EU countries.
This applies to both short-term visa holders and visa-exempt travellers.
Johansson said the EES would also prepare the grounds for the introduction of a long-delayed mandatory electronic visa waiver system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), in the first half of 2025.
Like the US ESTA program and the UK's ETA, which launches later this year, the European Electronic Travel Authorisation will cost €7 (AUD11.50) and be valid for three years.
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