00:00We've invested in our digital capabilities, so that's making sure that passengers know exactly what they're going to be looking at when they arrive here in stations, and particularly what the requirements are, depending on their status, whether they're EU, non-EU.
00:13And of course, yeah, we're going to have staff here in this location, but across all our kiosks to make sure that we're helping our customers every step of the way and making it a smooth and seamless experience for them.
00:24Rules for British citizens entering the EU will change from the 12th of October with the introduction of the bloc's new entry-exit system.
00:36The process will involve people from non-EU countries, such as the UK, having their fingerprints registered and photographed taken to enter the EU, which will eventually replace the need to stamp passports.
00:55The new system will be phased in over the course of a few months, which means these rules won't initially apply everywhere.
01:06However, the EU aims to complete implementation across all external Schengen borders by the 10th of April next year.
01:15For air travellers, these checks will take place on arrival to the EU country.
01:23However, for those travelling to the EU via the ports of Dover, the Channel Tunnel, or of course St Pancras Station,
01:30these requirements will need to be completed before departure, leading to some concerns over potential delays.
01:40So, absolutely not. When we introduce on the 12th of October, we're going to make full use of the regulation that the EU published,
01:49that enables us to be, you know, very progressive, you know, in the introductory phase.
01:55So we're going to make full use of that, working hand in hand with our border colleagues to make sure that we do this in a very controlled, measured way,
02:03helping our customers every step of the way and making sure there are no queues as a result.
02:08So we start on the 12th of October, we're going to start very modestly, and then we're looking to take full advantage of that regulation,
02:15as I mentioned, and come January, making sure that then we have all our tech in full working order,
02:22and then we ramp up and make sure that, yeah, we are in full ES readiness come Easter 2026.
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