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For months, British travellers heading to Spain and other EU countries have been preparing for a series of new border controls. First came the Entry/Exit System (EES), which will require non-EU visitors to register fingerprints and facial scans at the border. Now it appears that a second measure, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias), has also hit delays.

 

The Etias scheme, often compared to the US ESTA system, will require visa-exempt travellers, including UK citizens, to apply online and pay a €20 fee before travelling to the EU. But after ongoing technical problems with the rollout of EES, officials are now discussing postponing the launch of Etias until next year or later.

 

The delay comes after repeated concerns about border queues and disruption linked to the new Entry/Exit System, which Spain has already been preparing for at airports and ports

 

The EES programme requires non-EU travellers to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, when entering the Schengen area. It was originally due to launch in 2022 but has been repeatedly delayed because of technical and operational issues.

 

According to people familiar with discussions inside EU-Lisa, the agency responsible for both systems, launching Etias before the end of this year is no longer considered realistic. The agency's management board discussed the issue at a meeting on Tuesday June 17 and is expected to revisit the timetable in September.

 

One person involved in the discussions said there were "still some IT issues" with Etias and argued: "Let's clean up EES first before you put another system that will double the line again."

 

The European Commission will ultimately decide when Etias starts operating, but only after EU-Lisa confirms the system has been fully tested and is ready.

 

The postponement may come as a relief to many travellers. Earlier this year, airlines and airport operators warned that the introduction of EES could lead to significant delays at border controls during busy travel periods. Those concerns prompted repeated warnings for passengers travelling between the UK and Spain to allow extra time at airports.

 

When Etias does eventually launch, around 1.4 billion visa-exempt travellers, including Britons, will need to complete an online application before travelling to the EU. The scheme has been in preparation for several years as part of a wider overhaul of Europe's external border controls.