The director of Palma airport, Tomás Melgar, told the Bulletin this week that they were ready for the introduction of the new European Union entry/exit travel scheme which will launch Europe-wide in October and will effectively change the way British citizens enter and leave European Union countries. The launch date is October 12.
The new system will mean that passports no longer have to be stamped and it will make it easier to control how long British citizens stay in the country. It must be remembered that non-resident British citizens can only stay 90 days in two batches of two (180 days a year). Also with the new system the old green-style residence certificate will not be accepted.
The system will register the person’s name, type of the travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders.
The director said that the equipment was already in place and they were just waiting for the green light from Brussels.
There is concern that the much-delayed new system could cause delays at airports across Europe especially in the early days of its launch.