Introduction of European Entry-Exit Scheme (EES)

[MrJeeves]

As I recall, Prague has 4 rows of kiosks (about 10 per row from memory ) immediately before passport control

Even more than that, from what I saw!

 

[Harpo]

Coming into Ibiza last Saturday, no-one on my flight got their passport stamped - I asked but no luck. Apparently they aren't stamping you out either, however it was scanned on a new machine so presumably they are EES enabled?

Paphos at the other end of the island has had a peculiar exit regime for a while where you scan your own passport (usually with difficulty) and have your photo taken. The machine prints a slip with a smudgy image of the photo then you queue for customs where they stamp the passport and bin the slip!

 

[Class73Electro]

Is a minute or so inputting your details at a kiosk really going to put people off travelling? I think some people (not helped by hysterics in the media) are blowing this up out of all proportion. Having gone through the process at Prague (Czechia decided to introduce it early), it really was pretty painless.

Airports it won't be much of an issue, just another delay and everyone is already on foot queuing for the passports.

Ferry Terminals... Getting away from Dover, Departing from the Portsmouth-Caen ferry, for example, I have heard reports of it taking an hour from getting off the ferry to getting out the port in Caen. That's just from scanning and stamping passports.

Imagine every car having to get out, fingerprints, photo etc... It's not going to be pretty. Espcially with a ferry getting in at around 21:00.

It feels a system set up for Airports fine, other methods... hmm.

 

[stadler]

Even more than that, from what I saw!

I see they can not even get the rules right. The sign on the wall says "registration for all non EU nationals required" even though there are eight non EU countries (Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City) which are exempt. Those eight countries citizens are exempt from EES and ETIAS and are not required to register. Surely a better way to write it would be "registration for all non EU/EFTA/EEA/Schengen nationals required" or something similar. They have had years of warning and they can not even get their posters correct.

 

[signed]

Can EES registration be done manually by an officer? I would assume it to be very hard to install machines at most ferryports, especially with vehicles.

 

[Class73Electro]

Can EES registration be done manually by an officer? I would assume it to be very hard to install machines at most ferryports, especially with vehicles.

Have seen some machines in St Malo and Caen for a good few months, abit in the foot pax area

 

[Belperpete]

Once protocolled; you should simply walk up to the e-gate, slip your passport in, maybe hand on a reader (what if you've lost some fingers??) and have your photo taken, and then that's it (how long will it take, 20-30 seconds?) - no more queues to get your passport stamped.

You are making a big assumption that we will be allowed to use the e-gates. That is not a given.

I imagine that once your bios are on the system you won't even need to insert the passport as your bio is your passport?

My understanding is that the system has been introduced to improve border security, not to speed it up. To prove that you are not travelling on someone else's passport. A proper check of who you are, rather than some bored immigration officer checking with a quick glance that you match your passport photo. And a proper check of how long you have spent in the EU, rather than the same bored official doing a quick flick through the stamps in your passport. So very unlikely that they will accept your bio as your passport, as that would be reducing the security checks.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2025 ==

Can EES registration be done manually by an officer? I would assume it to be very hard to install machines at most ferryports, especially with vehicles.

I vaguely recall someone at Prague who wasn't able to register on one of the kiosks being directed away somewhere, which I presumed was to somewhere it could be done manually. Unless they were being refused entry.

 

[island]

Can EES registration be done manually by an officer? I would assume it to be very hard to install machines at most ferryports, especially with vehicles.

Yes, and this is understood to be what will happen at low-traffic/low-demand crossings such as quieter ferryports, Rotterdam Eurostar and less busy land borders with e.g. Serbia, Albania, Moldova, Türkiye, or Montenegro.

 

[Mag_seven]

Warsaw Chopin airport yesterday - fingerprint readers and face scanners at the immigration exit booths but I didn't see any being used.

 

[Howardh]

Warsaw Chopin airport yesterday - fingerprint readers and face scanners at the immigration exit booths but I didn't see any being used.

My turn tomorrow - Ibiza, and I expect the machines to still be under wraps.

 

[Class73Electro]

My turn tomorrow - Ibiza, and I expect the machines to still be under wraps.

I'm sure I saw Spain is only using them in one airport in the entire country...

 

[Tester]

A friend arrived in Crete (Heraklion) this morning to find a row of machines roped off.

Passport stamped as normal.

 

[FinsburyPark]

I am going to Athens tomorrow on an Extreme Day Trip so no doubt I'll be curious to see how things are in Athens.

I have an EU member state passport myself, so I won't be partaking personally.

Will leave an update as to how it is 'on the ground' at Athens Airport

 

[Howardh]

I'm sure I saw Spain is only using them in one airport in the entire country...

If I get my passport stamped this time it will be something. Feel we'll be waved through again; but this time without the anxiety!

 

[route101]

If I get my passport stamped this time it will be something. Feel we'll be waved through again; but this time without the anxiety!

They should be stamping the passports!

 

[FinsburyPark]

EES is very much alove and kicking in Athens Airport.

Its done directly at the passport contol checkpoint.

I coudn't take any photis as in some countries taking photos as passport control is a recipe for trouble. Didn't wish to risk it.

Had it have been the machines away from the actual border control, that might have been different.

Well im off to get a beer and some pittayeros, as reccomended by my taxi driver

 

[Class73Electro]

EES is very much alove and kicking in Athens Airport.

Its done directly at the passport contol checkpoint.

I coudn't take any photis as in some countries taking photos as passport control is a recipe for trouble. Didn't wish to risk it.

Had it have been the machines away from the actual border control, that might have been different.

Well im off to get a beer and some pittayeros, as reccomended by my taxi driver

What did it involve, just the fingerprints and photo? Did it take much longer?

 

[FinsburyPark]

What did it involve, just the fingerprints and photo? Did it take much longer?

I think they did the lot. I have an EU member state passport as well as my UK one so I used the EU line. They had all the equipment available at EU line desks as well.

Sometimes non EU nationals go down the EU line by mistake so I guess they have all bases covered.

From what I could see they were doing photos fingerprints questions and passport stamps, albeit at the actual desk itself.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Oct 2025 ==

I've finished my day trip in Athens and EES is performed the same way on exit controls

 

[Class73Electro]

I think they did the lot. I have an EU member state passport as well as my UK one so I used the EU line. They had all the equipment available at EU line desks as well.

Sometimes non EU nationals go down the EU line by mistake so I guess they have all bases covered.

From what I could see they were doing photos fingerprints questions and passport stamps, albeit at the actual desk itself.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Oct 2025 ==

I've finished my day trip in Athens and EES is performed the same way on exit controls

Thanks for the useful info! So have to fingerprint scan out?

 

[Howardh]

Thanks for the useful info! So have to fingerprint scan out?

Presume so, so what comes in is registered as going out.

Meanwhile, Ibiza's new machines still under wraps so my Big Idea of getting it done early while it's quiet backfired. Ah, well, at least this time they stamped me in, just hope they do do outbound otherwise it's going to look a bit suspicious - just the one stamp on a new passport!

 

[Cloud Strife]

Can EES registration be done manually by an officer? I would assume it to be very hard to install machines at most ferryports, especially with vehicles.

Yes, most land borders will work like exactly this. You'll drive up to the booth, get out of the car to complete the registration, and then go through the normal border control. It's possible that some countries will have tablets for this purpose, but there isn't a unified system in place.

I see they can not even get the rules right. The sign on the wall says "registration for all non EU nationals required" even though there are eight non EU countries (Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City) which are exempt. Those eight countries citizens are exempt from EES and ETIAS and are not required to register. Surely a better way to write it would be "registration for all non EU/EFTA/EEA/Schengen nationals required" or something similar. They have had years of warning and they can not even get their posters correct.

In fairness, it's well understood by citizens of those countries that they're included in "EU" when it comes to most things. There are actually some more exceptions, such as Russians travelling between Kaliningrad and Russia (or actually Belarus, I think?) on a non-stop train, or those who hold a local border permit.

 

[FinsburyPark]

Thanks for the useful info! So have to fingerprint scan

I read somewhere that you only have to do fingerprints once every 3 years to enrol into it.

That said they ask for one biometric for enrolled persons which can be either a photo or fingerprints. Simon Calder the travel journalist thinks its likely to mostyly be photos for already enrolled people because it will be easier.

That said they 'might' ask for fingerprints instead, every once in a while.

Of course YMMV

To be fair as I was 'out and about' less than a week from the launch, its likely most of the people were non enrolled persons due to just how fresh it is.

As always YMMV.


Side note: This set up might wprk better for some. Persons who cannot use a computer will find the process far easier if its done directly at a border control rathern than working a machine as a self service operation. Yes from what I've seen the machines don't look difficult to operate but for those who find technology (in all its forms) to be a complete challenge, this might be more accessible for them

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Airports it won't be much of an issue, just another delay and everyone is already on foot queuing for the passports.

Very much an issue at airports this week, judging from this report in the i paper.

MSN

Seemingly 2-3 hour delays at multiple airports like Geneva, Lisbon and Tenerife South.

Paul Moston, 60, from north London queued for more than two hours with his wife, Ellen, 47, and daughter Isabelle,17, after landing at Geneva Airport from Heathrow on Saturday afternoon.
He said there were “angry scenes” as people tried to jump the queue, with two lines for Swiss and EU passports and non-EU passport holders as families waited.

I haven't seen any reports of how Eurostar is dealing with this at St Pancras (and stations with UK-bound passengers).
Nor, for that matter, at ports.

Any anger should really be directed at the Brexiteers who inflicted this (and ETIAS) bureaucracy on us.
The UK, or course, inflicts pretty much the same thing on incoming visitors.

 

[eoff]

I'm hoping that I avoid any of this on my short Schiphol transfer next week since they are due to start in November. I'll be hit with having to register at Schiphol in December but I'm arriving into the Netherlands so at least any delay won't affect a transfer.

 

[island]

The UK, or course, inflicts pretty much the same thing on incoming visitors.

Not really. The UK has brought in ETA online visas. The border experience is unchanged; fingerprints and photos are not taken from most visitors.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

I'm hoping that I avoid any of this on my short Schiphol transfer next week since they are due to start in November. I'll be hit with having to register at Schiphol in December but I'm arriving into the Netherlands so at least any delay won't affect a transfer.

If it's a non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfer you won't need to clear passport control.

 

[Howardh]

Will it be in order to go to St Pancras, find a machine, get your details done...without actually getting Eurostar and not intending to travel?

If so, could be hoards doing that and overload the system, simply to avoid the queues at airports?

I'd certainly try that method.

 

[signed]

Will it be in order to go to St Pancras, find a machine, get your details done...without actually getting Eurostar and not intending to travel?

No, that isn't possible

 

[eoff]

Will it be in order to go to St Pancras, find a machine, get your details done...without actually getting Eurostar and not intending to travel?

If so, could be hoards doing that and overload the system, simply to avoid the queues at airports?

I'd certainly try that method.

It seems that the machines don't do fingerprints, so only part of the process.

 

[Class73Electro]

Very much an issue at airports this week, judging from this report in the i paper.

MSN

Seemingly 2-3 hour delays at multiple airports like Geneva, Lisbon and Tenerife South.


I haven't seen any reports of how Eurostar is dealing with this at St Pancras (and stations with UK-bound passengers).
Nor, for that matter, at ports.

Any anger should really be directed at the Brexiteers who inflicted this (and ETIAS) bureaucracy on us.
The UK, or course, inflicts pretty much the same thing on incoming visitors.

Ouch! Thats not good! Worse then i feared!

 

[Benjwri]

I haven't seen any reports of how Eurostar is dealing with this at St Pancras (and stations with UK-bound passengers).
Nor, for that matter, at ports.

Eurostar hasn’t begun widespread use. It is currently just (some) business premier travellers in London and Paris using the system. The full rollout to all customers is rumoured to be coming in January.

In better news the 4 questions on the kiosks are being dropped, at least for the introduction period.