"Under EES, most non-EU or non-European Economic Area citizens or residents will be photographed and have their fingerprints scanned at the border to travel into the Schengen area. Travellers will need to scan their passport and may also be asked to confirm whether they have accommodation, a return ticket, sufficient funds and travel/medical insurance although not all border crossings will demand this."
"Banks of new machines have been installed at airports and borders around Europe in anticipation of the system, whose start date was originally scheduled for 2022. Cross-Channel departure points where the French and EU border is on UK soil, including Eurostar at St Pancras international train station, have invested tens of millions of pounds in infrastructure and computer systems to comply with the new requirements."
The EES launches Sunday, subjecting most British and other non-EU citizens to biometric checks when travelling into the Schengen area. Travellers will be photographed and fingerprinted, must scan passports, and may be asked to confirm accommodation, return tickets, funds and travel/medical insurance. A phased rollout keeps passport stamping until full deployment and initially checks only coaches and HGVs at Eurotunnel and Dover; Eurostar passenger checks remain limited until January. Airports and cross‑Channel departure points have installed machines and invested heavily in infrastructure; two Kent overflow sites are secured for potential tailbacks. The European Commission expects automated databases will make travel smoother and safer.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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