The EES System Is Taking Longer Than Expected Here’s What It Means For Your European Holiday
Crammed with an impressive range of history, culture, architecture, cuisine and chill-out landscapes, and glorious weather this time of year, a European holiday might sound like just the ticket. The only hurdle? Most European countries (the EU except for Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) have begun introducing a new EU Entry/Exit System – otherwise known as the EES. But it’s taking longer than expected to implement.
Different countries are taking different approaches to setting it up, and some have reported technical problems too. So this in-between period might prove less straightforward than anyone would like. It’s certainly not a blocker, and usual immigration rules apply, but it’s worth knowing what to expect, and allowances to make. To find out all you need to know, visit the European Entry/Exit System Travel Aware Page, or here’s an overview on the current status.
What is the EES?
As explained in a previous blog, the EES is a new system designed to replace physical stamping of passports with a digital record when you go through passport control within participating European countries. It’s for people in the UK who are travelling to an EU country for a short stay: up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
When you first arrive into one of the participating countries – or before departure at Port of Dover, Folkestone, or St Pancras International – you use an EES kiosk to take a photo of your face, and scan your fingerprints. This biometric data will be stored, so that your next visits only need a quick photo or fingerprints to pass immigration.
This system is designed to be quicker for travellers, and authorities can quickly spot those who outstay their visa, or don’t have the right one.
The countries involved are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The EES isn’t used for the Republic of Ireland and Cyprus.
If you’re a British national living in the EU, you don’t have to register with the EES if you have a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residence document or equivalent. Children under the age of 12 won’t need to give fingerprints, but they will still need to have their faces scanned.
Where we are now
The roll-out of the EES began in October last year, and the plan was for it to take six months to be phased in. But the deadline of 10th April has been and gone, and not everyone has it up and running smoothly.
Arianna Podesta, deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission, confirmed: “We are well aware that despite the agreed timeline, a few member states are still encountering technical difficulties.”
One of those is France, which means the three UK locations where the EES is implemented – comprising the Eurotunnel LeShuttle terminal at Folkestone terminal, the Port Of Dover and the Eurostar hub at London St Pancras International – are not working.
In all, it means how you’ll be checked at immigration is completely dependent on your arrival airport (or port), and where it is in the rollout at the time of your arrival.
What this means for your journey
Because there’s a range of implementations in operation, it still needs awareness, and extra time in your journey that you can use on expensive coffees if you end up getting through quickly. You’ll encounter one of these set-ups:
- EES: If you haven’t travelled into a participating country yet, you’ll be asked to use the EES kiosk to register your biometric data and link it with your passport. You’ll then be directed to the eGates or a human border officer, and you will not have your passport stamped. Your next visits will likely only need one bit of biometric data to pass immigration.
- EES – repeat: You might have already given your biometric data, but either because the biometrics were not recorded properly, or the country does things slightly differently, you’ll be asked to give them again.
. - EES – paused: If the biometric equipment is not working or if immigration is busy – as is likely over peak times like school holidays – you might be waved through the EES biometric system, and have your passport scanned so that it registers on the EES database. This means you won’t need your passport physically stamped.
- No EES: The Independent has reported that some countries will pause all EES activity over summer. In this case, physical stamping will continue.
The range of implementations might mean that you get a physical stamp one way but not the other. Anomalies like this will be overlooked until the system is fully up and running.
As ever, don’t forget to make sure your passport is valid for your stay.
What does this mean for the Euro visa?
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS, more commonly referred to as the Euro visa) is a mandatory electronic visa that is in the works, to allow non-EU travellers to enter the EU. It’s much like the ESTA in the USA.
The plan was for it to be implemented by the end of 2026. But as it needs the EES to be fully functional for at least six months, there’s a question mark over when it will be launched. Thankfully, the European Union has assured travellers that it “will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch”. Until then, watch this space.
Wherever you plan to go this year make sure to protect your trip with Switched On Travel Insurance. We provide 24/7 medical support, whether that’s via our medical emergency helpline, or via Air Doctor, which offers those with minor illnesses and injuries the option to see a medical professional either in person at their accommodation or via a clinic visit, or through a video consultation. Find out all about our worldwide assistance network on the Medical Support page of our website.