"The roll out of Europe's EES biometric border system was due to be stepped up this week across Europe, but what does that mean for travellers heading between France and the UK via Dover, the Eurotunnel or Eurostar terminals? Passengers might have expected longer waits at some French border crossing points from this week, as registrations for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), the new EU digital border system, were due to be stepped up in line with phased rollout plans."
"The EES, which collects digital personal records of third country nationals travelling to the Schengen area and replace the manual stamping of passports, was launched on October 12th 2025. The system is being introduced gradually, with Schengen countries having had to register at least 10 percent of estimated border crossings in the first 90 days. But that proportion was officially increased to 35 percent from January 9th and the goal is to reach 100 percent as of April 10th 2026."
The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) launched on October 12, 2025, collects fingerprints and facial images of third-country nationals entering the Schengen area and replaces passport stamping. Rollout requires incremental registration: at least 10 percent of estimated crossings in the first 90 days, raised to 35 percent from January 9, and targeting full (100%) coverage by April 10, 2026. French authorities have not yet authorised increasing passenger processing through EES biometric checks at some crossings, which could affect journeys between the UK and France. The UK-France border uses juxtaposed checks, so biometric registration occurs on departure at specific terminals.
Read at The Local France
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