Germany has agreed to let some UK airline passengers breeze through passport e-gates at its airports by the end of August, as announced by the Cabinet Office on Thursday. Initially, this fast-track entry will be available for frequent travellers.
The full roll-out for all UK nationals is on the horizon once Germany completes updates to its systems, paving the way for the EU’s much-anticipated Entry/Exit System (EES). The agreement is part of a bilateral treaty signed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during Merz’s inaugural official trip to the UK.
Post-Brexit, UK holidaymakers have typically faced queuing at manned desks for passport checks at EU airports, missing out on the swift automated gates equipped with facial recognition technology. This has resulted in lengthy waits, especially during busy travel times.
The change is seen as a significant step in addressing one of Brexit’s most tangible consequences. A UK-EU summit in May confirmed that there are no legal hurdles preventing UK citizens from using EU e-gates.
Following this, the Cabinet Office said that Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Portugal had already expanded e-gate access for British travellers.
EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “E-gates can make the slog of travelling through an airport that bit easier, which is why I have been working with the EU and member states to get more airports opened up to Brits abroad.”
The new treaty is a boon for both holidaymakers and British businesses, with £30 billion in services trade between the UK and the EU set to benefit from easier travel across Europe’s major economies, fostering deals and growth.
In a move that could revolutionise travel between the UK and Germany, the two nations have agreed to form a taskforce dedicated to establishing direct train services within the next ten years.
This collaborative taskforce will consist of transport experts from both countries, tasked with overcoming obstacles to the proposed route, including border and security checks, safety standards, and coordination with train operators.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’re pioneering a new era of European rail connectivity and are determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent.
“The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie – in just a matter of years, rail passengers in the UK could be able to visit these iconic sites direct from the comfort of a train, thanks to a direct connection linking London and Berlin.”
She also highlighted the transformative potential of the agreement, which aims to offer millions a “faster, more convenient and significantly greener alternative to flying” for travel between the UK and Germany.
In May, the UK and Switzerland penned a memorandum of understanding to tackle obstacles hindering a direct rail connection. Shortly after, Eurostar revealed ambitions for new routes that would directly link the UK with Germany and Switzerland.
The company has put forward plans to operate trains from London St Pancras International to Frankfurt and Geneva starting in the “early 2030s”. Travellers could expect journey times of around five hours to Frankfurt and five hours and 20 minutes to Geneva.
Currently, Eurostar enjoys exclusive rights to operate passenger services through the Channel Tunnel, yet various groups are crafting strategies to introduce competing services.