Brits planning on travelling to Spain and elsewhere in the European Union during the rapidly approaching October half-term will face an onslaught of new rules at its airports following the introduction of the new Entry/ Exit System (EES) this week, on October 12. However, this is far from the only change non-EU tourists are set to contend with.

The British Government has banned travellers from the EU from entering the UK with sandwiches, cheese, cured meats such as ham, raw meat, or milk in a bid to stop the spread of a highly contagious viral disease. Europe is seeing a growing number of cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) – a viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals like cattle and sheep – and its spread to the UK could devastate the livestock industry.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has extended its ban, meaning that travellers will not be allowed to enter the country with beef, sheep or pork meat or dairy products for personal consumption, regardless of whether they are packaged or purchased in a duty-free shop, it said.

If Brits continue to bring such products into the UK, they risk racking up fines of £5,000. Since the ban was introduced in April this year, no official date has been announced for when it will end, so travellers should be cautious about what they pack in their bags.

If you are not certain an item is allowed, always declare it at customs. Border officials are less likely to fine passengers who declare something in good faith, but hidden or undeclared items could result in confiscation, delays, or fines of up to £5,000. It is recommended that you check the official list on gov.uk before travelling and declare anything that might be questionable when going through customs.

• All cheeses – soft, hard or processed e.g. brie and camembert from France, mozzarella and parmesan from Italy and manchego, a traditional Spanish favourite.
• All meat products – cured, cooked or packaged e.g. salami, pâté and horizo and Jamón from Spain
• Milk, yoghurt, butter, cream and other dairy items
• Food items containing meat or dairy e.g. sandwiches
• Baked goods containing meat or dairy
• Salad

The EU‘s new scheme, known as EES, is being introduced to replace passport stamping for all non-EU citizens. The new rules will apply in the Schengen Area, which includes 29 countries – but not Ireland or Cyprus. From October 12, Brits will need to scan their passport, have fingerprints and their photograph taken when entering these nations. Biometric tests will be carried out at an automated kiosk or by a border officer.