In autumn 2024, the EU will launch the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES), an automated IT border system designed to register non-EU nationals for short stays. This new system will replace the current practice of manually stamping passports at the border.
Non-EU residents will be required to provide their name, passport details, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) as well as the date and place of entry and exit upon entering the EU. These details will be held on file for three years. This means third-country nationals making repeat visits to the EU within a three-year period will not have to go through the same registration process each time.
However, if you are officially resident in the EU, you will be exempt from registering with the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES).
The following information is for British residents in Italy. We strongly recommend you consult your own government’s website for further information on how the EES will affect you.
British passport holders and the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES)
The following information is based on information found on the British Government’s website regarding Living in Italy.
British residents in the EU will be exempt from registering with the EES but they will be required to show a residency document as agreed under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement or the Schengen Border Code. For British residents in Italy, this will be one of the documents listed in page 46 of Annex 22 of the Schengen Border Code .
Resident in Italy before 1 January 2021
When you travel, you should carry your Italian residence document or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.
Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.
If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you do not need any additional validity on the passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.
Carry the correct documentation
When the EU’s Entry/Exit system (EES) is introduced in autumn 2024, British nationals who have been lawfully resident in the EU since before 1 January 2021 and are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement will be exempt from registration, provided they hold the correct documentation. They will be required to show a uniform-format biometric card which is included as a residency document under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.
For residents of Italy, this card is the Carta di soggiorno (residence card or permanent residence card). Although having a Carta di soggiorno is not mandatory in Italy, we strongly recommend all those who do not have a card obtain one.
We expect that beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement may face significant delays and difficulties at borders if they do not have a Carta di soggiorno. To get this card you should book an appointment at your local immigration office at the police headquarters (Questura) to have your biometric data taken.
Please read the Italian government’s guidance on how to obtain a biometric residence card.
You must proactively show your Carta di soggiorno if you are asked to show your passport at border control.
If you have applied for your Carta di soggiorno, but have not yet received it, carry your receipt of application.
