Originally Posted by
OGG flyer
lack of reciprocity annoys me, EU travelers can breeze through automated gates at LHR, whereas us Brits have to typically use manual desks. Heathrow should disable automated gates for EU passports until reciprocity is established. I don't have skin in the game , as I also have EU citizenship though need to renew my second passport and am EU born, so can criticise from certain degree of objectivity here
I think LHR and the UK should be reciprocal and allow Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian and Cypriot travellers to use E-Gates but should require Nordic, Dutch and Germans to use the manned desks for a grilling. Seems fair!
I travel to the EU about 2x a month with work and my experience is that Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and Hungary let us use the E-Gates so zero questions, Germany, Poland and the Nordics tend to be a lot more thorough but Sweden is a whole other kettle of fish! Must be a blanket policy they have for all non EU/EEA/CH citizens I suspect rather than Brexit revenge but you never know!
I notice in the Netherlands now the novelty of punishing Brits has worn off, in 2021 I got grilled horribly at the Ijumuiden ferry terminal. Meticulously checked every stamp, wanted bank statement and wanted my ticket out of Schengen. Since then my arrivals at AMS have been a brief question then waved through.
Bizarre to be denied entry if these are the circumstances in the case of OP husband.
On another note, the UK being so quick and easy to enter on a US, Canadian, Australian, EU passport is a big selling factor. Would you rather a few days in London where you are through in seconds, or wait 2 hours in AMS as their 2 border officials slowly process the vast lines?