How is manual passport stamping done?
In the manual system, the immigration officer would check the traveller’s visa, ask a few questions and then stamp the passport. Padmapriya Raman, an 18-year-old Indian expatriate from Sharjah, said, “The process usually took a minute or two, but the wait increased due to long queues.” He visited nine European countries: France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein and Vatican City. Padmapriya said, “The new system will save time, but I will miss the stamps on the passport because they are memories of the trip. It’s a small thing, but it means a lot.”
Dependence on documents will reduce due to digital system
Tariq Anwar, a UAE resident who frequently travels to Europe on business trips, said he was relieved by the news because the old system involved “long lines and very few counters”. He said the manual process was completely dependent on documents, which could be lost or damaged. The new digital system will increase convenience for passengers. Additionally, he said this will also reduce the hassle of filling out passports quickly and getting them renewed frequently.
How will the new biometric system work?
After October 12, when a non-EU citizen enters the Schengen area for the first time, he or she will have to register their biometric information (photo, fingerprint and passport details). According to Safir Mahmood, general manager, Smart Travel Group, entering data for the first time may take 10–15 minutes, and in total passengers may stay at immigration for 45 minutes to an hour.
He said the delay could be longer at busy airports like Paris’s Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
Travel agent Praveen Chaudhary (Al Safron Travel and Tourism) said that citizens of some countries already give biometric data at the time of visa application, so such travelers will only have to get their data verified and will not have to give it again.
UAE and Airlines advice
Before this major change, Emirates Airlines informed passengers that their data will be securely stored in the EES database for three years and that passengers should allow more time to reach the airport during the first journey. Air Arabia also issued a similar warning saying that the system would replace passport stamping and involve additional checks such as facial photos and fingerprint scans.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) also reminded Emirati travelers of the change, saying “For the first time, your passport details and biometric data (photo and fingerprint) upon entry to any European country will be stored for up to three years. It will only need to be updated if the data changes or an error is detected.” The ministry also made it clear that diplomatic passport holders will be exempted from this system.
