Passport requirements
From 1 January 2021 travel requirements for British passports, including Jersey variant British passports, changed to the:
- EU
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- Switzerland
This is known as the Schengen area.
Your passport must:
- be issued within the last 10 years on the day you plan to arrive
- have at least 3 months validity remaining on the day you plan to come back
You may be refused entry if your passport doesn’t meet these criteria.
We recommend that you renew your passport on or before 9 years and 6 months. Find out more how to get a passport.
Do not book any travel until you have your new passport. Your new passport won’t have the same number as your old one.
You should also check with your airline or ferry company to make sure you meet their travel document requirements.
There may be different rules if you're travelling to Cyprus or Ireland. These countries are in the EU but are not in the Schengen area.
Schengen Border Code on European Law
How long you can stay without a visa
You don’t need a visa for short trips to the EU or countries in the Schengen area if both of the following apply:
- you’re staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period
- you’re visiting as a tourist or for certain other reasons
Other reasons include:
- studying a short course
- getting medical treatment
- travelling for business for your UK employer, for example to attend a business meeting or conference
- journalism or other media activities
Find more information to work out if your stay is within the 90 day limit or when you may need a visa if you’re travelling to the EU and Schengen area on GOV.UK.
EU Entry and Exit System
The EU Entry and Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025.
This is a new digital border system that has changed requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.
If you're travelling to a Schengen country for a short stay using a British passport, including a Jersey variant British passport, you'll need to register your fingerprints and a photograph when you arrive.
You don't need to do anything before you arrive at the border and there's no cost for EES registration.
EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.
Cyprus and
Ireland
are not
in the Schengen area. EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.
Find more information on:
List of countries in the Schengen area
The countries in the Schengen area includes:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Cyprus and Ireland are not in the Schengen area.
Travelling to Cyprus or Ireland
Cyprus and Ireland are EU countries but are not in the Schengen area. They may have different rules.
Make sure you check entry requirements on GOV.UK for:
If you travel to other countries that are not in the Schengen area, check the entry requirements before you travel on
foreign travel advice on GOV.UK.
gov.je