From 12 October 2025, the European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) began. This is a new digital border system that will change requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area. The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration. After it is fully implemented, EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.
You may also be asked to provide proof of your travel insurance. As this is a group policy rather than a personal policy, the travel insurance policy wording does not include any of your personal details. Gallagher can supply a letter to you via email along with your current travel policy documents as proof of insurance. If you would like to receive a letter as proof of insurance for an upcoming trip, please provide the below information to Gallagher via email at: uk.groupinsuranceschemes.contact@ajg.com