UK citizens face fingerprint checks each time they visit EU
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/may/31/uk-citizens-face-fingerprint-checks-each-time-they-visit-eu
Posted by F0urLeafCl0ver
UK citizens face fingerprint checks each time they visit EU
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/may/31/uk-citizens-face-fingerprint-checks-each-time-they-visit-eu
Posted by F0urLeafCl0ver
41 Comments
Large chunks of the world need to visit an embassy, answer loads of questions to get a visa and still risk being refused by the border guard.
Us needing to have biometrics on file doesn’t feel that big of a deal to me?
EUs prerogative to protect their borders though isn’t it. Nothing to do with us unfortunately
Non story
Can we fingerprint people coming the other way too? Fairs fair after all
I’ve been printed and pictured numerous times when travelling. It takes a few seconds these days.
I mean, we did vote to leave them to “protect our borders”; were we expecting that they would not protect theirs?
> “UK citizens”
Only some UK citizens as those UK citizens in NI who choose an Irish passport over a UK passport won’t.
Everybody – “protect the borders”
Us – “not from us though 🥺”
Don’t forget it was the UK government that was the driving force behind getting this into EU law
Keep in mind folks this was supposed to come into effect in 2017. It’s been continuously delayed year after year ever since.
For those who don’t know the passports of various countries (including EU member states) already store biometric data like finger prints. When you go to get your passport your fingerprints are taken.
You have to do this in a lot of places you visit abroad.
They’re well within their rights to do so. If they feel it’s needed to protect their countries, so be it.
If you don’t like it, don’t go to those countries.
Just visited the USA and they did fingerprints checks on entry too. Even after ESTA/Visa approvals.
Anyone who finds this weird, you should look up the documentation required to apply for a UK tourist visa. It is so much more than some biometrics.
European here – since 2010ish (?), I’ve needed to supply fingerprints and other biometrics to get my passport renewed. So this already applies to us, it’s just built in to our passport….
People don’t “need” to go to the EU. They can go to Turkey, Morrocco, Canada etc.
Has anybody not travelled anywhere else but Benidorm for the last 10 years? This is very standard at airports that, funnily enough, we no longer control or have a say in.
Nothing new here. Already do elsewhere. Just been back from Singapore who took them. Plus Bali.
I get the same every time I visit Japan. I don’t see it as a big deal. If it’s such a big issue then use an EU passport when travelling to the EU if you have one.
Been doing this in the states for a long time now. Not surprised the EU are now doing it too
I better stop picking my nose and scratching my testicles in the passport queue
Like when visiting the US, then?
A check that takes 60 seconds tops?
Oh the humanity.
And…we are foreigners when not in our country, so why do we expect treatment different to our own…Shouldn’t have left the EU….
Considering how far we’ve already come, I struggle to think of any form of ritual humiliation that is likely to put the majority of people off travelling, especially by air. I’ve no doubt there are dangerous people we’d all like to see behind bars and not travelling freely. But it seems that most people would give up almost anything for a little more reassurance of safety.
pretty standard and has been in force in lots of places for over 20 years. Not sure why the Guardian thinks this needs a headline. The country voted Brexit. This means we lose access to the benefits of being in the EU. Its not that hard to understand.
Frankly I would prefer this to carrying a passport around.
There’s a sizeable portion of the UK population that are dead against ID cards…usual stuff like not wanting the government to have biometric information, big brother etc..bet a sizeable potion of them would happily offer their biometric data to still get into Europe for a holiday.
Oh the irony.
Absolutely fine with this, most of us already use biometrics multiple times a day anyway (when unlocking our phones) so that part really isn’t an issue.
The only thing of slight concern, is given how many large scale cyber attacks there have been recently, will the database be secure enough to withstand attempted cyber attacks?
Not something that’s new. Spain has done this before. Get over it or don’t travel. Womp womp
We’ve got to do this when going to America anyway its not exactly an outrageous ask
Oh no – uk citizens face checks at borders into a union territory they’re no longer a part of…
The word ‘face’ as though it’s so horrific. The way this media dramatises stuff.
Brexiters: we should leave the EU, they let everyone in without security checks
Also brexiters: how dare they do security checks on me to determine if to let me in.
Has to be done in America, it’s not that deep really is it?
I do love the UK leaving the EU and then just expecting to still enjoy the benefits of being in the EU.
In case you didn’t know , UK does the same at least for non EU citizens . My wife gave biometrics before she got the UK visa and also fingerprinted at the UK border again .
No Biggie to be honest. We should be doing that here.
Well done EU. If you dont like it, stay in Brexit Land and Clacton.
My laptop fails to recognise my fingerprint about 2/3rds of the time..
Tbh I’ll never understand British obsession with not having ID cards and fingerprints on file from the start.
They face the same thing in loads of Asian countries too. It generally adds around 30 seconds onto the process of going through the immigration terminals.
Ironically, the only people who’ll find this non-story somewhat of a story will be the ones who voted against having a chuffing EU passport.
Is this one of those “it’s not just the UK it’s all non-EU states” things again?