
Full list of 48 EU airports letting British holidaymakers use faster eGates this year – skipping long passport queues
And the five other popular holiday hotspots that already allow Brits to use them
OPEN DOORS Full list of 48 EU airports letting British holidaymakers use faster eGates this year – skipping long passport queues
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MORE countries across Europe are allowing Brits to use their airport eGates - massively reducing wait times after a flight.
The UK government has confirmed that Sofia Airport in Bulgaria will now allow British holidaymakers to use the much faster eGate queues.
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Sofia Airport now allows Brits to use eGates
Credit: Alamy
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Half a million Brits visited Bulgaria last year
Credit: Alamy
Currently, Brits are facing hour-long queues at a number of popular holiday destinations due to be unable to use the eGates.
Instead, they are directed to the alternative queue for all other passengers, meaning huge delays when going through passport security.
However, earlier this month it was confirmed that Faro Airport - which connects Brits to the Algarve - would allow anyone from the UK to use their eGates.
Around 300,000 Brits headed to the Algarve last year, out of the 2.5million visiting Portugal.
Not only has Sofia followed suit, but Tallinn in Estonia has confirmed they will also remove the eGate ban for Brits from next year.
Around 500,000 UK holidaymakers visited Bulgaria last year, with many heading to the popular Sunny Beach.
And around 70,000 Brits visited Estonia last year.
The opening of the ports will see 49 destinations permitting the use of eGates to Brits.
This includes Paris, Rome, Lisbon and Tenerife.
EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "Today's eGates win is great news for Brits travelling to the EU – and a clear sign of the Government's pragmatic reset of our relationship with Brussels and European capitals.'
Heathrow airport chaos as people 'left to queue for five hours' after not being able to use eGates
Full list of destinations allowing Brits to use eGates Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Orly Airport Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Marseille Provence Airport Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport Nice Airport Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord Terminal Eurostar London St Pancras Terminal Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal Eurotunnel Calais Terminal Port of Calais Alicante Mallorca Tenerife Lanzarote Egates Gran Canaria Ibiza Naples Airport Rome Fiumicino Airport Rome Ciampino Airport Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport Venice Marco Polo Airport Cagliari Airport Milan Malpensa Airport Milan Linate Airport Bari Airport Brindisi Airport Bergamo Airport Treviso Airport Verona Villafranca Airport Florence Airport Pisa International Airport Turin Airport Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport Catania Airport Palermo Airport Lisbon Airport Terminal 1 Faro Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (exit only) Larnaca International Airport Paphos International Airport Brussels airport Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport Dublin airport Prague airport Terminal 1 Helsinki airport Sofia airport
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they wanted to reopen up the eGates to Brits again.
He said: "We will be and are pressing to get on with this straight away.
"Because for holiday makers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily, without delay and chaos."
Last summer, Brits missed their flights in Spain due to long passport queues while waiting to get them stamped.
Brits will also need to make sure they are still getting their passport stamped.
Current rules only allow UK tourists to stay in Europe for 90 days out of 180 days, which is what the entry and exit stamps are for.
Anyone seen to be overstaying can be banned from entering which happened to a Brit in Majorca back in 2022.
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Tallinn will follow suit next year
Credit: Alamy
This will eventually be scrapped when the constantly-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) in introduced, set to be rolled out this October.
New biometric checks will replace manual passport stamping.

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