EES, ETIAS and UK ETA, what changes at Palma Airport, and what travellers need to do

Oliver sits down with Nick Brown, a regular in the Majorca Mallorca community known for translating complicated rules into plain English, to unpack what is changing at Europe’s borders.

They cover the Entry/Exit System (EES) kiosks and biometrics, how the Schengen 90 days in any 180 days rule actually works, what could cause longer queues at Palma, and the practical stuff people can do to reduce stress when arriving or departing.

They also break down ETIAS, why scam websites are already appearing, and a separate but related headache: the UK’s ETA rules, especially for British dual nationals travelling on non-UK passports.

Key takeaways for listeners

1. EES is the “at the border” change: biometric registration and electronic tracking replace the old stamp logic for most non-EU short-stay travellers.
2. 90/180 is rolling, no reset: it is not “90 then one day out then 90 again”, it is “are you over 90 of the last 180 days, today?”.
3. Queues may be worse before they are better, especially at busy regional airports in peak season, because first-time registration takes longer and needs staffing.
4. ETIAS is not live yet: the EU’s official position is that it will start in the last quarter of 2026 and travellers do not need to do anything now.
5. UK ETA is now enforced for people who need it, and costs £16 via the official route.
6. Beware paid “application services” and fake sites, especially for ETIAS, since it is not even open yet.

Mentioned in the episode

1. EU official Travel to Europe pages: EES and ETIAS (what they are, and current status)
2. European Commission explainer: EES vs ETIAS differences
3. UK Government guidance: Apply for a UK ETA, cost, what it does and does not do
4. UK Government announcement on ETA enforcement (25 Feb 2026)
5. Banco de Alimentos de Mallorca, donation options (as referenced by Nick)
6. Brits in Spain Facebook page, run by the British Embassy in Madrid (referenced in the discussion)

EU EES (official): https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees

EU ETIAS (official): https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias

European Commission: EES vs ETIAS explainer: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/ees-vs-etias-main-differences-know-travellers-2026-01-29_en

UK ETA apply (official): https://www.gov.uk/eta

UK ETA enforcement news release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enforces-digital-permission-to-travel

Banco de Alimentos de Mallorca (donations): https://www.bancodealimentosdemallorca.org/donativos

Brits in Spain (British Embassy Madrid): https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/

....and some links from Nick.

Work out how long you can stay with this spreadsheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wTSpknDO0azRvEa_JQvCTJ_W3iMBafySYi9p3i6KvYw/edit?gid=1766127169#gid=1766127169

...help him to help local charities while getting a personally guided tour of Palma from the man himself.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563615153343