UK travellers heading to the EU could encounter a fresh system from today.

Airports throughout the continent are launching the new Entry and Exit System (EES) digital framework from today (October 12).

This means the majority of non-EU nationals must register their biometric information at one of 29 participating nations, including numerous popular holiday destinations such as Spain and Greece.

Certain UK travellers will need to have their photograph taken and fingerprints scanned before they can enter Europe's Schengen zone.

As the programme progressively launches, travellers will eventually no longer require passport stamps thanks to the new arrangement, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The system is being implemented with the aim of making border crossings swifter and more streamlined.

Nevertheless, as the programme is in its initial stages, numerous holidaymakers have been cautioned they could encounter delays of up to four hours at airports.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, advised: "Make sure, where possible, you're leaving yourself between three and four hours from the point of entry.

"You may be going for a concert, you may be going for a meeting, you may be going for a wedding, for a cruise. If you're not leaving yourself enough time and you unfortunately arrive at an airport where there is a bottleneck, which in a lot of places there are already, this is going to add another layer of frustration and delay."

People who do not have to register on EES However, not all travellers will be required to register their biometric data on the new system. As per the EU website, there are certain conditions under which you won't need to use the system:.