Citizens of the UK have been advised to prepare for the implementation of the EU’s new border system – Entry/Exit System (EES) – in the last quarter of this year.
Issuing the advice, the UK Foreign Office warned all Britons that the EES is expected to start in October 2025, while stressing that they will be informed about the specific date soon, once the EU decides a final launch date, Schengen.News reports.
EES is expected to start in October 2025. It is currently not in operation. The European Union will inform about the specific start date of the EES prior to its launch.
The EES will replace manual passport stamping, making border checks in the Schengen Area more secure. After many delaysthe EU just recently agreed to gradually roll out the new border system.
Once the system gets launched, UK passport holders and all other non-EU citizens travelling to the bloc will need to register their biometric details and create a digital record on their first arrival to the EU.
Fingerprints and photos will be submitted and taken at dedicated kiosks and the digital record of each individual will remain valid for a period of three years. Those entering the Schengen Area again after registration during this three-year period will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border when entering and exiting.
Ees registration might cause housed tails
Due to the registration of travellers at border checkpoints, longer queues might be caused.
As the UK Foreign Office explained, at some ports in the south of England – Dover, Eurotunnel, and St Pancras, there may be longer wait times while the EES registration is completed before passengers leave the UK.
In order to avoid inconveniences, the Foreign Office advised that passengers travelling through one of the above-mentioned ports check with their travel operator to find out when to arrive at the port and learn about any potential delays.
Make sure you are prepared in case you need to queue for a long period.
To minimise travel disruptions, the UK authorities said that they are working closely with the EU authorities. The EU is funding ports and carriers to set up the needed technology for the new border system.
As revealed by the UK Foreign Office, Eurostar will have around 50 kiosks for EES checks. Eurotunnel will have more than 100 kiosks, adding about five minutes to the journey times, and the Port of Dover will use 24 kiosks and mobile agents to accelerate the process.