 Poster: A snowHead
|
According to the Times this morning, the EU is looking to remove the ban on Brits using passport e-gates. This would be a big step forwards IMO.
“ Under the plans, one of the few likely immediate and tangible benefits for Brits, the commission will lift its ban on Brits using e-gates, which currently forces travellers to wait in long lines for a passport stamp. It will then be up to individual EU countries how and when to grant access, but Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister for European affairs and political point man with the EU, fought hard for the plan knowing it would be popular with voters, who hate standing in line for hours at the start of their summer holiday.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
long lines 
Have never encounted one. Especially one that is so called waiting for hours.
Even after travel during covid when you need a vaccine certification.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@GreenDay, I fly to GVA a lot in the winter, at least half a dozen times. Prior to Brexit never queued for more than two or three minutes. Last couple of seasons I’ve always have to queue. Worst was 65 minutes, arriving on a Sunday afternoon. This winter was a bit better than last winter, but there was always a queue of at least 10 minutes, usually longer than that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@Gored, do you fly much? Zurich regularly 50mins+ for non-EU or non CH permit holders. Lisbon 30mins last weekend, AMS on a bad day is worse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@rob@rar, @Nadenoodlee, Quite.
I look forward to more of the same at Marseilles in a couple of weeks.......
However, on the general point if there is a relaxation we can look forward to using the EU e-gates and that is excellent news.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| snowdave wrote: |
| Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister for European affairs and political point man with the EU, fought hard for the plan knowing it would be popular with voters, who hate standing in line for hours at the start of their summer holiday.” |
I thought leave means leave?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is great news. Presumably this will apply to the exit passport checks too?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
That’s great news if it comes off.
I’m so fed up of watching my wife (EU passport) swan on past me and vanish at immigration. At least she gets the hire car though by the time I’m through and have collected our bags - without waiting by the carousel, of course, because I’ve already done the waiting in the bloody passport queue.
I joined EasyJet Plus this year which lets me sit at the front for no extra fee so I can let it for passport control.
I wonder how well get our passports stamped, though?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| rickboden wrote: |
I’m so fed up of watching my wife (EU passport) swan on past me and vanish at immigration. |
Mine is UK colleagues who think we can share a taxi because they land at the same time. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Gored wrote: |
long lines
Have never encounted one. Especially one that is so called waiting for hours.
Even after travel during covid when you need a vaccine certification. |
I'm with Gored.
Haven't experienced it, but admittedly haven't flown to Geneva at Half Term either.
I've waited longer at security than I have at Passport Control.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| Mike Pow wrote: |
| … but admittedly haven't flown to Geneva at Half Term either. |
Me neither. Usually fly to GVA on a Sunday or a Monday, always outside of school holidays. Prior to Brexit there were no queues, since Brexit there are always queues to get through immigration control, sometimes very long. Hope that there’s agreement for UK passport holders to use EU e-gates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I fly into Geneva about 8-10 times a year and in the last year it’s been getting worse
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
If we are going to have a creep-back "deal" with the EU e-gates would be a small pat-off.
Pet passports too please.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Quote: |
Pet passports too please.
|
This, and I do believe there is a rumour it is on the agenda.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Ours has a French passport & it works great,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@Jonny996, so does ours, but we have a new dog and we will have to get the AHC for our next visit, then get the French one while we're on holiday. For many, if they don't have an EU address, it means they can't get the passport. Getting one is really an un-necessary step, and it does mean an un-necessary extra rabies jab. Initially,our vet just transposed the details from the old UK one, but this didn't happen with Odin, and he had another vaccine at the French vet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Flying in to Verona everybody uses the same e-gates - then there is an officer in a booth to stamp UK passports : twas the same at Chambery...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
A few weeks ago we were flying back to UK via Lyon and there was a large queue at passport control, of mostly brits, they then opened the egates to everyone, brits included, and stamped any passports after the gates. How does that work ?
I did not go through egates personally as we were near the front of of the manual queue so nothing to gain.
edit :- It obviously does because that is what allbob has described above. 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 18-05-25 10:53; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Folk ought to be whining about the current situation, where Johnny foreigner gets to use the UK lanes coming into the UK, but Brits don't get the same courtesy in return.
But if the Brexit folk want to continue to queue up with the rest of the world when entering eg EEA countries (eg Iceland),
there's presumably not going to be anything to stop them doing that - they fought hard and paid dearly for the right to be disadvantaged versus the rest of Europe, after all. Everybody wins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My son had a queue that took nearly twice the length of the flight to Amsterdam, mainly as a result of the immigration officials only manning a couple of desks , which is not uncommon there. This at Schiphol, a hugely busy airport.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
IME the queue length, both entering and leaving, is extremely variable. I fly a lot and it’s anything from 0-75 minutes at pretty much every major European airport (try arriving in Oslo on the late BA flight with typically only 1 or 2 passport desks open and over a hundred Brits on the plane!). This makes it hard to plan - whether it’s pickups or drop offs - which time transfer bus, or the first world problem at Geneva of when to leave the lounge to avoid an hour sitting in the B gate satellite vs missing flight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gored wrote: |
45mins is hardly hours
I usually fiy to Leon fwiw. Big quiet airport. Lots of car hire.
Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Barcelona, Malaga. Never had to queue for anytime longer than it usually takes to get back into the UK.
At the end of the day, I can only think once where there baggage carousel was going & delivering bags before I got through passport control. Still had to wait for my luggage to get loaded on though.
Longest queue was probably Sofia. One guard on duty checking passports. That was 12-14 years ago as a member of the EU. |
You mentioned “waiting for hours” not anyone else. Have a search for ‘strawman argument’…
Do you mean Lyon?
Bulgaria only joined the Schengen Zone in March 2024, so your longest queue 12-14 years ago was when border checks were operational for intra-EU travel.
Anything other points you need help with?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
it does and has meant that many have missed transfers because they were stuck in passport queues
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 18-05-25 16:47; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
@Gored, I think he means queues. Lines are what you draw on paper. I just looked up León airport on the internet. It looks lovely.
I have to admit the longest wait times I have had recently have been arriving back into the UK. At Birmingham airport a couple weeks ago I was pulled out of the queue and taken to the front of another machine. I beleive this was purely because I am old and look it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| johnE wrote: |
| I have to admit the longest wait times I have had recently have been arriving back into the UK. At Birmingham airport a couple weeks ago I was pulled out of the queue and taken to the front of another machine. I beleive this was purely because I am old and look it. |
One of the few advantages of getting old! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
As much as I hate the queue, it’s never delayed me long enough that my bags are already waiting on the other side. Different I guess if you’re only travelling with hand luggage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Gored wrote: |
45mins is hardly hours
I usually fiy to Leon fwiw. Big quiet airport. Lots of car hire.
Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Barcelona, Malaga. Never had to queue for anytime longer than it usually takes to get back into the UK.
At the end of the day, I can only think once where there baggage carousel was going & delivering bags before I got through passport control. Still had to wait for my luggage to get loaded on though.
Longest queue was probably Sofia. One guard on duty checking passports. That was 12-14 years ago as a member of the EU. |
You mentioned “waiting for hours” not anyone else. Have a search for ‘strawman argument’…
|
TBF, the minister quoted in the original post said, “… knowing it would be popular with voters, who hate standing in line for hours at the start of their summer holiday”
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
who hate standing in line for hours
|
I think he said queuing. British people are good at queuing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Gored wrote: |
45mins is hardly hours
I usually fiy to Leon fwiw. Big quiet airport. Lots of car hire.
Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Barcelona, Malaga. Never had to queue for anytime longer than it usually takes to get back into the UK.
At the end of the day, I can only think once where there baggage carousel was going & delivering bags before I got through passport control. Still had to wait for my luggage to get loaded on though.
Longest queue was probably Sofia. One guard on duty checking passports. That was 12-14 years ago as a member of the EU. |
You mentioned “waiting for hours” not anyone else. Have a search for ‘strawman argument’…
Do you mean Lyon?
Bulgaria only joined the Schengen Zone in March 2024, so your longest queue 12-14 years ago was when border checks were operational for intra-EU travel.
Anything other points you need help with?
|
I suggest you go re-read the first post. That is where hours is mentioned.
Yes I meant Lyon, However auto-predict put Leon
Border checks for UK to Schengen still included a passport check. Sometimes a glance, sometimes waived through, sometimes passport getting scanned. The same to non Schengen (ie bulgaria), because coming from the UK was outside of Schengen. Similar for other non Schengen (at time) countries I had visited who are in the EU.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Last time I queued for insanely long time (flights were being delayed) in GVA was a weekday in May.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Unless there's a lot of passport desks, a queue is inevitable. It takes 30-120 seconds to process a brit, and there's often >100 Brits on a short-haul aircraft. Divide by number of passport desks, and you are close to the peak queueing duration.
If you're experiencing zero queues, you're either off the plane first, or there are 10+ desks open so in the 10mins it takes to disembark, everyone is processed as a continuous flow. And there's no other planes arriving at the same time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
That's good news, however assume we'll still be subject to the EES when that finally goes live so perhaps only a short lived benefit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| rickboden wrote: |
That’s great news if it comes off.
I’m so fed up of watching my wife (EU passport) swan on past me and vanish at immigration. At least she gets the hire car though by the time I’m through and have collected our bags - without waiting by the carousel, of course, because I’ve already done the waiting in the bloody passport queue.
I joined EasyJet Plus this year which lets me sit at the front for no extra fee so I can let it for passport control.
I wonder how well get our passports stamped, though? |
Why don't you join your wife in the EU queue? I am an EU passport holder and both my wife and teenage lads (who are in the process of acquiring Cypriot / EU citizenship) always whiz through with me (mainly at GVA) without any issues whatsoever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@franga, I was wondering that too, as I know my sister does that with her hubby who is an Irish passport holder. The Irish passport has made travel so much easier for him, as he needs to do visit EU countries frequently for his UK based job.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @Jonny996, so does ours, but we have a new dog and we will have to get the AHC for our next visit, then get the French one while we're on holiday. For many, if they don't have an EU address, it means they can't get the passport. Getting one is really an un-necessary step, and it does mean an un-necessary extra rabies jab. Initially,our vet just transposed the details from the old UK one, but this didn't happen with Odin, and he had another vaccine at the French vet. |
Looks like pet passports are going to be included, so pooch can go on holiday now without being the most expensive guest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@James77, I thought EES would only be a delay factor on initial registration, and it was then valid for a few years. It also, I think, removes the need for physical stamps so should speed up queues as well
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
