British tourists travelling to Spain and across the Schengen area will encounter different levels of implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) as the rollout continues this summer. While the system applies across participating countries, some states are adjusting how strictly biometric checks are applied at busy border points.

The EES requires non-EU nationals, including UK passport holders, to register biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images when entering the Schengen area for short stays. The system is being introduced in phases and replaces traditional passport stamping at many external borders. Although the rules are set at EU level, several countries are managing implementation differently in response to congestion at airports and ferry terminals during peak travel periods.

Greece adjusts biometric checks for British travellers

Greece is currently not applying EES biometric registration to British passport holders at its borders. Instead, UK arrivals are being processed using manual passport stamping.

This change has been introduced at entry points where congestion has been reported during the early stages of the system’s rollout. Greek authorities have described the adjustment as a practical response to managing passenger flow rather than a change to EU policy. The EES remains part of the wider Schengen border system in Greece for other non-EU travellers.

Portugal continues standard EES processing

Portugal has confirmed that it is applying the EES as required under EU rules, meaning British travellers are subject to biometric registration on arrival. No exemption or suspension has been introduced at national level. Processing includes the collection of fingerprints and facial images at external borders.

Portuguese authorities have not announced changes to standard procedures, although airport operators have been monitoring passenger queues during peak travel periods.

Italy maintains full biometric registration

Italy follows suit with Portugal and is also operating the EES in line with EU requirements.

UK nationals entering the country must complete biometric registration at external borders. This applies at airports, ports and land crossings where the system is active. No national exemption has been announced. Border procedures remain aligned with the EU-wide rollout timetable.

Spain applies EES but raises concerns over delays

Spain is operating the EES at external borders, including major airports and ferry terminals. British travellers entering Spain for the first time under the system are required to provide fingerprints and a facial image. These details are stored for future crossings, reducing the need for repeat registration.

Regional authorities, including representatives in island destinations, have raised concerns about potential delays during peak summer travel periods. However, no national suspension or exemption has been introduced. British residents in Spain with valid residency permits such as a TIE card are not processed as short-stay visitors when presenting their documentation and are not required to register under visitor rules.

France applies EES with operational flexibility

France is implementing the EES at its external borders, including airports, ports and rail terminals. While the system is in place, border authorities may adjust processing during periods of high passenger volume to manage queues. No national exemption for British travellers has been announced. The system remains active across French entry points for non-EU nationals.

Other Schengen countries follow standard rules

Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland are applying the EES in line with EU requirements.

All non-EU travellers, including UK passport holders, are required to complete biometric registration when entering the Schengen area for short stays. Operational adjustments may occur at individual border points to manage congestion, but these do not change the underlying requirement to collect biometric data.

Ireland and Cyprus excluded from the system

Ireland and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen Area and do not participate in the Entry/Exit System.

Travellers entering these countries continue to use existing passport control procedures without EES biometric registration.

What British travellers should expect

The European Commission has confirmed that the EES applies uniformly across participating Schengen countries for non-EU travellers. While all states must register biometric data under the system, implementation can vary during the early rollout phase depending on passenger numbers and airport capacity.

British travellers should expect longer processing times at some borders, particularly at the first entry into the Schengen area under the new system. Once registered, biometric data is stored and linked to the traveller’s passport for future visits, reducing repeat processing.

Guidance for Spanish residents and UK visitors

British residents living in Spain should carry valid residency documents such as a TIE card when travelling. This determines whether they are treated as short-stay visitors or residents at border control.

UK passport holders without residency status will be required to complete biometric registration on entry and exit under the EES rules. Travellers are advised to allow additional time at airports during peak periods, as processing times vary depending on location and passenger volume.

Wider rollout context

The EES is an EU system that records entry and exit using digital data and is designed to replace manual passport stamping with digital records of entry and exit. The system is being introduced across Schengen states in phases, with full operational deployment expected during 2026.

During the transition period, border procedures may differ between countries and individual airports, particularly where passenger numbers are high. Travellers are advised to check requirements before departure, as local implementation can change depending on operational conditions at border points.

Portugal’s government is considering a voluntary civic-military programme that would offer young participants a cash payment and access to a free driving licence as part of a plan to improve recruitment into the armed forces.

The proposal has been put forward by the governing PSD and CDS-PP coalition and is still under discussion in parliament. It has not yet been approved as law. The scheme, referred to in reports as “Defender Portugal” (Defend Portugal), would be aimed at people aged between 18 and 23. Participation would be voluntary.

Training structure and duration

The programme would last between three and six weeks. It would combine civic instruction with basic military training in a supervised environment. Participants would take part in physical preparation, discipline-based activities and sessions focused on civic responsibility. The training would take place in facilities linked to the armed forces.

At the end of the programme, participants would receive a one-off payment of €439.21.

Driving licence and additional benefits

The proposal includes access to a free driving licence. This would be provided through military or state-approved training centres. The scheme also outlines possible advantages for participants when applying for roles in the armed forces and certain public sector positions, including security services.

These advantages would not guarantee employment but could be taken into account during selection processes.

Political position and current status

The initiative has been presented as a way to increase interest in military service among younger age groups. It is intended to address recruitment difficulties in Portugal’s armed forces, which rely entirely on voluntary enlistment following the end of conscription in 2004.

Government representatives have described the programme as optional and temporary in nature. It remains at the proposal stage and requires further parliamentary approval before any implementation. No start date has been confirmed.

Debate within Portugal

The proposal has prompted discussion in parliament over its design and incentives. Supporters argue that the payment and driving licence could encourage participation and provide practical benefits for young people, particularly those in education or early employment.

Opposition figures have questioned the use of financial incentives in connection with military-linked training and have called for further scrutiny of how the scheme would be funded and administered.

What it could mean for young people in Portugal

If introduced, the programme would provide participants with short-term structured training and a financial payment of €439.21. The inclusion of a free driving licence would remove one of the more expensive early costs faced by young adults in Portugal.

Participants would also gain exposure to military environments and basic training, which could be relevant for those considering careers in the armed forces or public services. However, participation would not create an obligation to join the military after completion of the programme.

Wider implications for recruitment

Portugal ended compulsory military service in 2004, moving to a fully voluntary system. Since then, the armed forces have relied on recruitment campaigns and voluntary enlistment to maintain staffing levels.

The proposed programme is designed as a short-term entry route for younger age groups, but its final structure will depend on parliamentary approval and any amendments made during the legislative process.

The European Commission has asked Spain to begin phasing out its regulated electricity tariff, known as the PVPC, in a move that could affect around eight million households and reshape the country’s energy market. The request forms part of Brussels’ latest review of European retail energy markets, which argues that long-term state intervention in electricity pricing conflicts with European Union rules designed to promote competition between suppliers.

According to the Commission, regulated tariffs should only remain available in limited circumstances, particularly for vulnerable consumers. Spain is one of several countries identified by the Commission as still maintaining regulated electricity prices. France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia were also named in the report. Brussels has asked those governments to produce plans for moving consumers onto fully market-based contracts.

How the PVPC system works

The PVPC system, officially known as the “Voluntary Price for Small Consumers”, is linked to wholesale electricity prices and changes throughout the day according to market conditions. During the energy crisis of 2021 and 2022, the tariff became highly volatile because of surging gas prices, although Spain later modified the system to reduce exposure to daily fluctuations by incorporating longer-term futures pricing.

Despite the reform, Brussels maintains that regulated pricing should not become a permanent feature of the electricity market. The Commission argues that fixed-price contracts offered by private suppliers provide greater long-term stability and encourage competition among energy companies.

Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen has pushed back against suggestions that the tariff will disappear immediately. She said there is currently “no forecast” to eliminate the PVPC and defended the system as an important protection for households during periods of energy instability.  The Spanish government has nevertheless agreed to ask the National Commission on Markets and Competition to carry out a detailed study of the retail electricity market and the competitiveness of current pricing systems.

Millions of residents could face higher annual bills

Around 29 per cent of households in Spain remain on the regulated tariff, equivalent to roughly eight million homes. Several media outlets have reported that consumers could end up paying as much as €240 more per year if they are moved onto standard market contracts, although that figure does not come directly from the European Commission itself.  The debate comes as electricity prices in Spain remain a sensitive political and economic issue.

Average wholesale electricity prices have fallen significantly from the peaks seen during the energy crisis, but household bills remain under pressure from taxes, grid charges and inflation-linked contracts.  Analysts expect electricity costs in 2026 to remain relatively stable compared with recent years, though not substantially cheaper. Consumers currently on the PVPC benefit from direct access to wholesale market prices, meaning bills can fall sharply when renewable energy production is high or demand is low.

A move towards private fixed contracts could reduce volatility but may also lock households into higher long-term prices, particularly during periods when wholesale electricity becomes cheaper.  The issue is particularly important for lower-income households, pensioners and residents in areas where air conditioning or electric heating are essential during extreme weather. Although the EU accepts that social support schemes such as Spain’s “bono social” discount can continue for vulnerable households, consumer organisations fear that ending the broader regulated tariff could increase energy poverty if prices rise further. 

Tourism businesses may also feel the impact

Spain’s hotels, holiday apartments, restaurants and hospitality businesses are highly exposed to electricity costs, especially during the summer season when cooling systems operate continuously. Higher energy bills may lead businesses to increase accommodation prices, restaurant charges and service costs, particularly in major tourist destinations such as Costa del Sol, Alicante and the Balearic Islands.

Short-term rental properties and tourist apartments, many of which already face rising operating costs, may also pass increased electricity expenses onto visitors. Industry groups have warned in recent years that energy prices remain one of the largest overheads for tourism businesses alongside staffing and taxation.

What happens next

Brussels has not imposed a deadline for abolishing the PVPC, and the Spanish government continues to insist that current market conditions do not justify removing the tariff. However, the Commission’s latest intervention signals growing pressure for Spain to align its electricity market more closely with broader EU competition rules.