UK passport holders could soon be able to use e-gates in Europe as part of a new deal between the British government and the EU.

The UK and EU have agreed a package of measures, which British prime minister Keir Starmer said would ¡°support British businesses, back British jobs and put more money in people¡¯s pockets¡±.

This includes UK travellers being able to ¡°use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control¡±. Although individual EU countries will ultimately decide what access to grant UK passport holders, and it is unlikely to be implemented until?the EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) is finally launched later this year.

UK travellers have not been able to use EU passport lanes since the country left the bloc five years ago - leading to longer queues to pass through immigration checkpoints. Starmer added that gaining access to e-gates would be the ¡°first discernible difference¡± for many people.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, UK minister for EU relations, said the deal represented a ¡°new chapter in our relationship with the EU¡±.

¡°Since the start of these negotiations, we have worked for a deal to make the British people safer, more secure and more prosperous,¡± added Thomas-Symonds. ¡°Our new UK-EU Strategic Partnership achieves all three objectives. It delivers on jobs, bills and borders.¡±

The move to give UK travellers increased access to e-gates when travelling to EU countries has been welcomed by travel associations.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, said: ¡°Today¡¯s news marks a major improvement for UK travellers. The tedious wait in border control lines since Brexit has long been a source of irritation for many Brits travelling to the EU, widening the availability of e-gates across Europe will indeed be most welcome."

Meanwhile Clive Wratten, CEO of the Business Travel Association (BTA), called it a ¡°positive step¡±, which should reduce ¡°lost time¡± for business travellers.

¡°Time is money and the cost of waiting in long queues is significant for UK businesses,¡± added Wratten.?¡°The concern will be if EU countries will follow suit, as it will be up to individual countries how and when to grant the access.¡±

Mark Tanzer, CEO of UK-based ABTA, said the change should make it ¡°easier for travellers¡± by cutting down on queues and pre-trip admin.

¡°There are of course more border changes coming down the line ¨C including the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) planned for October 2025,¡± noted Tanzer. ¡°It is vital we continue to see good co-operation between the UK and EU on the introduction of this scheme to make it as streamlined as possible for UK travellers.¡±

The European Commission and the UK ¡°will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of e-gates where appropriate¡±, according to an EU statement.

¡°They note that European Union citizens can use e-gates in the United Kingdom and that there will be no legal barriers to e-gate use for British nationals travelling to and from European Union member states after the introduction of the European Union Entry-Exit System,¡± added the statement.