Are Britons facing delays at French airports due to ETA?

Reader Question: As Britons living in France we are not impacted by the new ETA, unlike our French friends. However, will the rules lead to longer queues when we go through airport security? We are already concerned about the EU Entry/Exit System causing issues.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) should not lead to any changes for Britons when returning to the UK, either at French airports or upon arrival. 

Travellers who require an ETA – non-British and non-Irish nationals without a prior visa or valid right to live/enter the UK – must apply for one in advance of their journey, either online or through the official smartphone application. 

It usually takes only a few minutes for applications to be accepted but travellers are recommended to apply at least three working days in advance of travel dates in case of any potential issues.

Once approved, the ETA is linked digitally to their passport, and is checked for by authorities. 

A leniency period relating to the scheme ended in February 2026 – it is now mandatory for those who need an ETA to obtain one in advance of travelling to the UK.

Different from EU’s EES

It works as an online travel authorisation for nationalities with visa-free access for short visits to the UK, making it more akin to the EU’s incoming ETIAS scheme than the recently-implemented Entry/Exit System (EES).

The latter is a border security project now in place across the Schengen area, which registers visitors upon arrival and exit to the bloc. ETIAS however is not scheduled to come into force until autumn 2026 at the earliest. 

Additional measures included in the EES registration process, such as taking biometric data (facial photo, fingerprint scan, etc) and then verifying this on subsequent exits and entries has led to queues and chaos in some airports. 

Upon arrival, it can take several minutes to register each passenger in the system, leading to some lengthy queues in popular destinations or on flights where most passengers need to be registered for their first EES entry.

For those leaving the Schengen area, EES checks happen after passing through airport security but before boarding a flight. 

Checks generally take place prior to travellers accessing the area of the airport where flights to non-EU destinations – such as the UK – depart from and can impact all those flying from these gates, including those who do not need to register for EES; e.g. EU citizens and residency card holders. 

In comparison, the ETA does not require any additional security checks by authorities. 

Travel operators must ensure that passengers on vessels bound for the UK have the right to enter the nation (with a UK/Irish passport, third-nation passport with ETA status, visa, etc, with the latter two linked digitally to passports).

They check this during the individual boarding process for the vessel,when scanning passenger passports.

Boarding rules require all passengers to scan their documents anyway, so this measure should not lengthen the time it takes to board a flight. 

If a passenger does not have the right to enter the UK, airline staff will take them to one side for further questioning, but the boarding process for other passengers should continue as normal.

There is also no change to the arrivals process once landing in the UK.

Those with eligible biometric passports can use the e-gates to automatically pass through border security and enter UK soil. 

This includes non-citizens with an ETA and an eligible passport (all EU citizens, Australians, Americans, Canadians) and from July 8, children aged 8 and above. 

For those without a passport eligible for e-gate access, or families with children under 8, they must pass through staffed border gates. 

As a British citizen however, you are recommended to use the e-gate where possible.