Jet2.com is urging summer travellers heading to Spain, France, Greece, Portugal and Turkey to check the latest entry rules before they fly, as new border requirements and long-running visa limits can change by destination, nationality and passport type. The airline says British holidaymakers should look at the latest guidance on the FCDO website before travel.
The warning matters now because Jet2 is preparing for the summer season and the European Union introduced a new Entry/Exit System on October 12, 2025. Jet2 says the system applies to British nationals travelling to countries within the Schengen area and may involve a digital check on arrival and departure, with no cost to travellers and nothing they need to do before they leave the UK.
Jet2 says the change could mean longer waits than usual both when arriving in destination and before the flight home. The airline’s advice covers some of the most heavily used package and leisure routes from the UK, where even small changes to border processing can ripple through airport queues and connection times during peak holiday periods.
For France, Greece, mainland Portugal and Spain, Jet2 says visa-free entry is limited to 90 days in a 180-day period. The same rule applies to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, which are part of the Spain guidance the airline highlighted. For Turkey, Jet2 says visa-free entry is also limited to 90 days in a 180-day period, but the country will not use the EU Entry/Exit System.
Portugal carries an added warning for families. Jet2 says young people under the age of 18 need a letter of authorisation when leaving or entering Portugal, including Madeira, if they are not travelling with a parent or legal guardian. The letter must be signed by the parent or guardian and may need to be legally certified in some circumstances.
Turkey has its own passport rule as well. Jet2 says a passport used for travel there must be valid for at least 150 days from the date of arrival. That makes checking document expiry dates just as important as checking entry rules, especially for families who booked months in advance and may not have looked at the fine print since then.
The practical message is straightforward: the rules are not the same everywhere, and the safest assumption is that a passport alone may not be enough. For travellers heading into the main European summer season, the deadline is not the holiday itself but the point at which the airport desk checks whether the right documents are in hand.
