British holidaymakers will be allowed to use passport e-gates across Europe to reduce airport queues as part of a deal agreed with the EU.
But tourists will have to endure waits to have their passports stamped at many EU airports until at least October and possibly well into 2026.
Sir Keir Starmer struck an agreement with Europe ahead of a major summit with the bloc on Monday. A high profile part of the deal was “no legal barriers to e-gate use for British nationals travelling to and from EU member states after the introduction of the EU entry/exit system”.
But the Government has conceded that it will not be implemented until October and will be phased in over six months until April 2026, meaning queues are likely to continue for Britons over the summer.
British passports can currently only be used at e-gates in the EU at a limited number of airports in Spain and Portugal.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said the announcement was "a significant breakthrough for British travellers".
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, added: "This is excellent news for British holidaymakers and will enable an even smoother passenger experience for families travelling to the EU."
The EU is planning to launch its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) in October.
This will replace the need for people arriving from non-member countries, such as the UK, to have their passports stamped.
Instead, they will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database, with the data stored for three years.
There are fears this will cause queues at airports, as well as at the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel's terminal in Folkestone and London's St Pancras railway station, where French border checks are carried out before people embark on cross-Channel journeys.
The deal with the EU, which focuses on a security and defence pact, was approved by the EU ambassadors' committee.
Details were announced at the first UK-EU summit on Monday, at which Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in four days.
As part of the plans UK citizens will be allowed to use e-gates at European airports and British firms are expected to gain access to a £125billion EU defence fund.
Red tape around food exports is expected to be cut and the UK and EU have agreed to co-operate on a "youth experience scheme", but British officials insisted numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited.
Reports suggest that a disagreement over fishing rights and youth mobility presented last-minute stumbling blocks in negotiations.
Both Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a “surrender”.
The opposition leaders indicated they would tear it up if they came to power.
The Tories have also set out a series of “red lines” on fishing rights, including ensuring exclusive access to Britain's territorial sea and resisting “a multi-year agreement which only benefits France”.
