More eGates open in win for British holidaymakers

In another win for British holidaymakers, Bulgaria and Estonia have become the latest destinations to open more eGates to British passport holders, following extensive negotiations by the UK Government. 

Bulgaria yesterday (Tuesday) opened eGates at Sofia Airport T2 to British holidaymakers. Estonia will open eGates at Tallinn Airport from late 2026 - getting people to their holidays more smoothly. 

In 2024 close to half a million Brits visited Bulgaria and 70,000 visited Estonia.

EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds was at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria's capital yesterday to see eGates in action for British travellers.

This builds on the UK-EU Summit last month, where the UK and EU made clear that there were no legal barriers to even more EU countries allowing British nationals to use eGates at airports.

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.”

It comes as millions more Brits going to the Algarve can now use eGates in time for the summer holidays as Faro Airport opened its eGates to British passport holders this month.

Today's landmark announcement follows successful talks with the Bulgarian and Estonian Governments and airport authorities that followed the UK/EU Summit in May which cleared the path for more eGates to open. More countries are set to follow suit in the months to come.

With Sofia Airport opening its eGates, 48 passenger ports across Europe will have opened their eGates to British travellers. This includes popular destinations such as Paris (via Eurostar and air), Rome, Tenerife, and Lisbon – where millions of Brits travel each summer.

The deal with the EU, agreed on 19 May, delivers on the Government's core mission to grow the economy, back British jobs as part of the Plan for Change and put more money in people's pockets, and is expected to bring £9 billion to the UK economy by 2030.

And alongside providing further legal clarity to Member States on UK access to eGates, the deal will slash red tape for business, protect UK steel from EU rules and tariffs and bring greater control to our borders, with increased data sharing to catch dangerous criminals quicker.

Ends

Notes to editors

The passenger ports that have confirmed eGate access for British passport holders are:

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

2. Paris Orly Airport

3. Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport

4. EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg

5. Marseille Provence Airport

6. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport

7. Nice Airport

8. Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord Terminal

9. Eurostar London St Pancras Terminal 

10. Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal 

11. Eurotunnel Calais Terminal 

12. Port of Calais

13. Alicante 

14. Mallorca

15. Tenerife 

16. Lanzarote Egates

17. Gran Canaria 

18. Ibiza

19. Naples Airport

20. Rome Fiumicino Airport

21. Rome Ciampino Airport

22. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport

23. Venice Marco Polo Airport

24. Cagliari Airport

25. Milan Malpensa Airport

26. Milan Linate Airport

27. Bari Airport

28. Brindisi Airport

29. Bergamo Airport

30. Treviso Airport

31. Verona Villafranca Airport

32. Florence Airport

33. Pisa International Airport

34. Turin Airport

35. Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport

36. Catania Airport

37. Palermo Airport

38. Lisbon Airport Terminal 1

39. Faro Airport

40. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (exit only)

41. Larnaca International Airport

42. Paphos International Airport

43. Brussels airport

44. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

45. Dublin airport

46. Prague airport Terminal 1

47. Helsinki airport

Ports may trial, open or close eGate periodically for operational reasons.

eGates in Sofia Terminal 2 opened on 17 June.

eGates at Tallinn Airport will open in 2026.