Major European holiday destination now lets Brits use e-gates to avoid long passport queues

UK passport holders can now skip lengthy waits to get their documents stamped at the airport in Sofia, Bulgaria by using the e-gates system as part of the new deal EU-UK deal

Holidaymakers heading to Bulgaria will be able to avoid nightmare queues this summer as e-gates are rolled out to Brits.

UK passport holders can now skip lengthy waits to get their documents stamped at the airport in Sofia by using the quicker e-gates system. Last year, nearly half a million Brits visited the popular holiday destination.

It comes after Keir Starmer sealed a deal with the EU last month, which agreed there would be no legal barriers to allowing British travellers to use e-gates abroad.

Since Brexit, UK passport holders have generally had to queue for manual checks at border control. But under the pact, the EU has agreed to ease checks universally on British travellers.

EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the Mirror: “Today’s eGates win is great news for Brits travelling to the EU – and a clear sign of the Government’s pragmatic reset of our relationship with Brussels and European capitals.”

READ MORE: Keir Starmer hails ‘common sense’ deal with EU as a ‘win-win’ – with boosts for shoppers and tourists

Faro Airport, in Portugal, was the first to start the rollout last month, with cities like Paris, Lisbon and Rome following suit. More countries are set to follow suit, with Tallin, in Estonia pencilled in for next year.

The Government has faced criticism over the pace of the rollout of e-gates after the Prime Minister initially said it would apply immediately.

However the EU plans to launch its new Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025, which will scrap the requirement for non-EU citizens to have their passports stamped.

It is thought that more European airports will allow Brits to use the e-gates after this new system is brought in.

The full list of airports with confirmed e-gate access

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
2. Paris Orly Airport
3. Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
4. EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg
5. Marseille Provence Airport
6. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport
7. Nice Airport
8. Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord Terminal
9. Eurostar London St Pancras Terminal
10. Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal
11. Eurotunnel Calais Terminal
12. Port of Calais
13. Alicante
14. Mallorca
15. Tenerife
16. Lanzarote Egates
17. Gran Canaria
18. Ibiza
19. Naples Airport
20. Rome Fiumicino Airport
21. Rome Ciampino Airport
22. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport
23. Venice Marco Polo Airport
24. Cagliari Airport
25. Milan Malpensa Airport
26. Milan Linate Airport
27. Bari Airport
28. Brindisi Airport
29. Bergamo Airport
30. Treviso Airport
31. Verona Villafranca Airport
32. Florence Airport
33. Pisa International Airport
34. Turin Airport
35. Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport
36. Catania Airport
37. Palermo Airport
38. Lisbon Airport Terminal 1
39. Faro Airport
40. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (exit only)
41. Larnaca International Airport
42. Paphos International Airport
43. Brussels airport
44. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
45. Dublin airport
46. Prague airport Terminal 1
47. Helsinki airport

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