The four questions Brits have to answer to go on holiday from October under new EU rules

Brits hoping to head on holiday will have to answer four questions when a new European Union-wide border system comes into force.

The much-anticipated and repeatedly delayed border system, set to govern travel across the entire European Union, is finally ready to launch come October 12.

The EES will monitor the arrival and departure of "third-country nationals" entering and leaving the Schengen zone, eliminating the requirement for passport stamps. One of its primary objectives is to digitalise travel documentation to guarantee that the restriction on days (90 within a 180-day timeframe) non-EU passport holders can remain in member nations isn't violated, whilst enhancing border protection.

Information will typically be kept on record for three years. Those who decline to supply information can be refused entry.

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As well as giving biometric data and having your passport scanned, travellers will be asked to answer four questions - either by the kiosks or by a human guard. They are:

1. Do you have somewhere to stay?
2. Do you have a return ticket?
3. Do you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay?
4. Do you have medical insurance?

It is currently not completely clear what the consequences are if passengers answer 'no' to any of those questions, or if they lie in their answers. Simon Lejeune, Eurostar's chief safety, stations, and security officer, was present on Wednesday morning to reveal the kiosks that will begin gathering data from Brits next month.

He suggested that passengers would be directed to speak to a border officer if they answered 'no'. They can then be refused entry to the country.

A government spokesperson told the Mirror: "From 12th October, passengers who register for EES at a kiosk may need to answer a series of questions. If a traveller answers 'no' to any of these questions, they will be directed to speak with a border guard for further discussion. This is a normal part of border procedures, which is designed to ensure smooth and secure travel."

There are significant concerns that this new system could cause further congestion at ports, exacerbating the travel chaos that has become a staple of summer holidays since the Covid lockdowns. However, after getting an early glimpse of the EES at St Pancras, my prediction is that these fears may be unfounded.

Eurostar and St Pancras have invested heavily in tackling the issue, installing fast-track kiosks to handle the extended border process. If things do go pear-shaped, as they inevitably will, additional guards are ready to manually process passengers.

The roll-out of the EES is going to be staggered, both at St Pancras and other ports across Europe. Only Eurostar's Premier and Carte Blanche customers will be asked to use the EES from October 12. A handful of regular ticket holders may be asked, but it's likely very few will.

Initially, biometrics like fingerprints won't be collected. This will only start in mid-December and not for all passengers using EES.

By January, all kiosks at Eurostar's St Pancras and Gare du Nord terminals will be operational, and a broader passenger sign-up will commence. Fingerprints will be taken, and all eligible customers will be urged to pre-register before border control.

Once you've registered once, you won't need to do it again for another three years. In theory, this should make border checks faster, as border officers only verify the data of those registered.

Mr Lejeune clarified that registration should take about two minutes per person, meaning the process of getting through border control would take slightly longer if you've not used EES before.

When we had the opportunity to see one of the 49 new kiosks installed at St Pancras in action, the process was considerably quicker. From beginning to end, it took just over a minute.

If something does go wrong, such as the machine failing to recognise a passport, then an expanded team of human border guards will be available to assist. The number of guard booths has been doubled from nine to 18.