Europe’s EES (Entry Exit System) rolls out on 10th April. Be prepared for the possibility of delays when entering Europe as biometric data (fingerprints and photo) will be required on first entry after the roll out. Applies to all non-EU nationals (including UK citizens) traveling to the 25 EU member states within Schengen, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It does not apply to Cyprus or Ireland.
3 Likes
I’ll be travelling by train from 13 April to Belgium, Germany, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and the UK. Wonder what happens then?
1 Like
@Smiley you’ll have the worst of the confusion if it happens on time.
We’re heading to Spain in mid May, so hopefully any teething problems may have been ironed out by then.
2 Likes
I thought it already rolled out. I did fingerprints and photo when I flew into Frankfurt in December.
1 Like
Juxtaposed controls at St Pancras International allow French border police (Police aux Frontières) to operate within the London station, enabling passengers to complete French entry checks before boarding Eurostar. This means travellers clear both UK exit and French entry checks in London, arriving in France as domestic passengers.
GOV.UK +2
Key Features of St Pancras Juxtaposed Controls:
-
Process: Passengers first clear security, then French immigration, and finally UK immigration before entering the departure lounge.
-
EES Registration (from 12 Oct 2025): The new EU Entry/Exit System requires non-EU/UK citizens to scan their passports and submit biometrics (fingerprints and facial image) at new, dedicated kiosks within the St Pancras departure area.
3 Likes
Some countries have been doing slow rollouts. I went through it in Italy in October and now have a sticker on my passport indicating that.
2 Likes
From October 2025 10% of European airports and ports were operating EES border procedures, this increased to 35% in January. From April 10th it’s supposed to be 100%. There is some leeway for extensions if busy airports find they are overwhelmed and huge queues are building up.
1 Like
So, I guess I should expect delays for summer travel. I’m sure I will be stuck in the long lines even though I already did biometrics. I fly into Geneva in May.
1 Like
If my understanding is correct and I heard this on a podcast, once you have provided your biometric data it is stored for 3 years. Reentry into Europe in that period will require visitors to use the same booths that they previously registered at, they will be recognised as having already provided the data and be processed almost immediately. That’s the theory at least,
1 Like
We fly to venice on monday and arrive late. I am dreading this as my son has a disability and is going to be awkward if they dont have some kind of system to manage the complicated cases!!!
In a complete juxtaposition my friend managed to get in and out of the uk without a passport last week, so….
According to theBBC News today EES roll out at Port of Dover and Eurotunnel UK has been delayed again due to technical problems
I would expect delays even if we’ve gone through the process before, because we still have to wait in lines behind people who haven’t done the process yet.
Ideally, there would be separate lines, but realistically I don’t expect countries to have their act together (yet). Plus, they will have only so many machines/agents to shepherd travelers.
Of course, I’d be happy to be pleasantly surprised, but that’s rarely the case with border entries.
I’d suggest not planning for tight connections, say if you’re switching to trains or getting a pickup after your flight.
My guess is that it won’t be too bad, one or two hot spots perhaps e.g. the Balearics, the Canary Islands, Greece. Europe has had 6 months to iron out most and the worst technical glitches, recruit and train staff. I doubt it will be any worse than TSA queues in the US and probably a lot better.
The TSA nightmare is actually more like a strike, because the agents aren’t being paid and many are refusing to turn up. Many of us have experienced strikes in Europe, for instance, that have affected travel. There’s no rollout of new processes with strikes, just refusal to work without conditions/pay being met.
Yes, I’m aware of the reason for the TSA queues at US airports, it’s been well reported here.
My younger son has just returned from a few days in Italy with school. He said the process was fairly simple at Naples airport using the booths. Scan passport, do fingerprints & photo and answer a few questions on the screen. And there were 29 in their party!
2 Likes