Prepare for journey chaos this weekend: UK officers admit they’ve STILL not been advised which EU international locations will introduce new Entry/Exit System

British officials have admitted they have no idea which European airports will fully implement new travel red tape this weekend.

Brussels and European Union countries have refused to disclose to the UK Government where the new ‘Entry/Exit System’ (EES) will be enforced.

It opens the prospect of British travellers facing nightmare queues at European airports when the scheme goes live on Sunday.

The EES requires Britons and other non-EU citizens to register at the EU border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken at an electronic booth.

Passengers may also have to answer a series of questions about their travel plans, including whether they have a place to stay, have bought travel insurance and whether that have sufficent funds to cover their trip.

Answering ‘no’ to any of the questions could lead to them being questioned by border guards.

However, the UK government has not been formally notified which European countries will roll out EES from Sunday, nor whether passengers will be required to answer the travel questions.

Information on the project launch has been compiled by the European Commission and shared within EU member states but has not been made available to Britain, it is understood.

Some countries have publicly announced they will be implementing EES for all arrivals and departures from day one, including Estonia, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, Spain will initially only test the EES with a single flight arriving at Madrid airport on the first day of the system.

However, a full list of locations where EES will be introduced is not available, British officials said.

British passport-holders will need to register for the EES on their first visit to a country where checks are operating.

It will be a requirement when entering EU countries within the Schengen ‘open borders’ zone, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, but it will not be necessary when visiting Ireland and Cyprus.

Registration is valid for a rolling three-year period or until their passport expires.

Those with dual nationality can only register for the system under one passport.

When exiting a European country, and for subsequent visits, travellers will only need to scan their passport and provide either fingerprints or a photograph at the border.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Whilst the checks should only take one to two minutes for each person, they may lead to longer wait times at border control upon arrival in the Schengen area.

‘At the juxtaposed ports, where registration will be completed in the UK prior to departure, there may be longer waits at busy times.’

The EES will be phased in gradually over six months, until April 2026.

Checks will be carried out in the UK at ports which already have ‘juxtaposed’ passport controls with France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

EES requirements at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel will initially only apply to HGVs and coaches – and not private vehicles.

Eurostar’s passenger services will carry out the checks only on selected business travellers to begin with, officials said.

The government has spent £10.5m on border infrastructure including massive waiting areas for vehicles on the approach to Dover.

Two sites in Kent have been earmarked as holding areas.

The Government is finalising an agreement to use a location along the A20/M20 route where vehicles could be parked.

The deal is expected to be completed in time for next summer, which is likely to be the first major test for the EES as tourist numbers spike.

Officials have already reached an agreement for Lydden Hill Race Circuit to hold port-bound A2 traffic.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said: ‘We recognise that EES checks will be a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible.

‘The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration.”

Aviation minister Keir Mather said: ‘Our priority is to minimise disruption for travellers and hauliers, particularly at our busiest border crossings.

‘We’ll continue working closely with European partners and local resilience forums to keep traffic flowing and journeys smooth.’

EES registration is currently free.

The EU scheme was originally due to launch in 2022 but was repeatedly delayed due to technical problems. 

Britain has already rolled out a similar scheme for some foreign travellers, the Electronic Travel Authorisation or ETA.