Eurotunnel Ees Delay: Why Drivers Still Aren’t Being Fingerprinted At The French Border

The EU’s caller Entry/Exit System has softly begun for lorries and coaches – but if you’re heading to France by car, you’re still waiting for an charismatic commencement date. Here’s what’s going on.

If you’re readying a travel to France by car done nan Eurotunnel anytime soon, you’ve astir apt heard astir nan EU’s caller Entry/Exit System (EES) – nan 1 that replaces passport stamping pinch facial scans and fingerprint checks. It was meant to motorboat for each travellers this autumn.

And technically, it has started… but not for everyone

Right now, nan strategy is only being utilized for lorry drivers and coach passengers. Travellers successful cars are still going done nan accustomed passport checks, arsenic before. That wasn’t nan original plan, and astir a period aft nan system’s partial launch, we still don’t person a day for erstwhile car passengers will subordinate nan queue.

Eurotunnel’s genitor company, Getlink, says nan business is simple:
they’re ready, but they’re waiting for nan French authorities to determine erstwhile nan alteration really happens.

“For rider vehicles nan timing of nan EES motorboat is wished by nan authorities,” a spokesperson explained. “The EU model provides flexibility, allowing nan French authorities to take nan astir due day for managing rider traffic.”

In different words: the strategy is built, tested, and switched connected – but France decides erstwhile holidaymakers commencement utilizing it.

So, who will request to usage EES erstwhile it begins?

The caller checks use to non-EU travellers, including:

• British passport holders
• People visiting (not surviving in) France aliases nan wider Schengen Area

If you are resident successful France aliases different Schengen country, you’re not affected – arsenic agelong arsenic you tin beryllium it pinch nan correct ID aliases residency document.

The first clip you transverse nether nan caller system, you’ll request to:

• Scan your passport
• Have your look photographed
• Give fingerprints

Once done, your information is stored for early trips, which should make recreation somewhat quicker adjacent time. That’s nan idea, astatine least.

Why nan hold for cars?

Several EU countries – including France – antecedently admitted they weren’t fresh for afloat implementation connected nan original target day successful 2024.

To debar chaos astatine highest recreation times, nan EU approved a phased preamble complete summertime 2025. The scheme was:

1. Start pinch freight and coach travel.
2. Add backstage cars a fewer weeks later, erstwhile everything was moving smoothly.

And truthful far, for freight and coaches, things look to beryllium moving ‘smoothly, quickly and efficiently,’ according to Getlink.

But erstwhile it comes to backstage cars, authorities are being very cautious. A poorly timed rollout could easy lead to agelong queues astatine Folkestone and Calais – thing cipher wants successful nan lead-up to nan Christmas getaway.

The Port of Dover has besides confirmed that while it is prepared, it won’t activate nan strategy for cars until France gives nan greenish ray – and it wants astatine slightest 2 weeks’ announcement earlier that happens. Right now, that hasn’t happened.

So if you’re driving soon:
nothing changes (yet).

But location is a deadline coming

The EU won’t let delays forever. Under nan phased preamble rules:

• By mid-November, astatine slightest 10 per cent of applicable separator crossings must beryllium processed pinch EES.
• By mid-January, that number rises to 35 per cent.
• And wrong six months, EES must beryllium afloat operational astatine French introduction points.

There’s besides only a two-month model wherever separator officers tin tally EES without doing nan afloat biometric checks. After that, fingerprints and facial scans go compulsory.

So, while nan commencement day for cars hasn’t been announced yet, it can’t beryllium pushed backmost endlessly.
When it comes, it’s coming quickly.

What this intends if you’re readying to recreation soon

For now:

• Car passengers are still utilizing modular passport checks.
• Coach passengers and lorry drivers are already connected EES.

But erstwhile cars move over, travellers should expect:

• Longer processing times connected nan first trip
• Possible queues during highest recreation periods
• Improved velocity aft your first registration

If you’re travelling for Christmas, wintertime holidays aliases half-term, nan nonstop timing could make a noticeable difference.

We’ll beryllium watching nan business intimately and will study instantly erstwhile a confirmed commencement day is announced.