 Poster: A snowHead
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@Judwin, Same for me on the 9.24 this morning, but no swabbing.
I queried with the French bloke about no stamp - Gallic shrug. So I asked English Passport control if the French had stopped stamping as a matter of policy. She said yes.
So now I am left with a Schengen entry stamp from 5 weeks ago and no exit one and have never done an EES input. I assume the French system has logged me as leaving but is this transmitted to all other Schengen border posts? I doubt it.
So next time I go to Schengen I’ll have to carry a copy of my booking and the hanger as proof of exit.
The whole EES thing is becoming a ‘Carry On’ farce. It would be funny if it didn’t have potentially serious consequences, never mind the cost and inconvenience that yesterday’s Linate pax suffered. How anybody is expected to run an airline or transfer business on time is beyond me.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone been into or out of GVA since the new system (allegedly...) became fully operational on 10th April? We're into there on the 19th and back on the 26th. Not looking forward to it after queuing at passport control on arrival there for about an hour three weeks ago...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@chocksaway, I think you will find that the stamps were always largely meaningless. Every passport or ID card is scanned on entry & exit and the details logged. If there is an issue with regard to the 90 day thing then the Schengen database would be the point of reference not stamps in a passport. The current issue with EES seems to be mainly an issue with the French not being able to sort the IT so that the terminals etc communicate with the database. Until that is sorted then the current grief for non EU citizens will continue
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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In my working days I travelled frequently on business to various EU destinations. Fortunately I was an EU citizen at that time, my citizenship being stolen from me after I had retired. But if I were still engaged in that business I'd be mightily pissed off by my passport being rapidly filled with stamps - perhaps that has some bearing on this apparent change on the part of the French?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Orange200 wrote: |
| Yes, technology can accidentally duplicate things. |
very good
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| Quote: |
| But if I were still engaged in that business I'd be mightily pissed off by my passport being rapidly filled with stamps |
The UK Passport Office has a 54 page version (ie 20 extra pages) available for a £14 supplement  My 34 page version is getting quite full after three years of holiday use - so the sooner the EU does away with stamps, the better for me.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
I think you will find that the stamps were always largely meaningless. Every passport or ID card is scanned on entry & exit and the details logged. If there is an issue with regard to the 90 day thing then the Schengen database would be the point of reference not stamps in a passport.
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Probably from the 10th but before that it was unsure as to whether the Norwegian and the Greek databases were even connected. Or even if they were connected to any database and the passports were just being checked for authenticty. As @munich_irish, says the terminals may not have been connected to any centralised database.
I noticed that the border police did flick through the passports sometimes, though I suspect they were really just looking where you'd been.
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@mountainaddict, I came in to GVA on sat 11th, passport scanned, photo and fingerprint taken, passport not stamped. So I presume that will be the same on the way out from GVA this coming Saturday.
I can only assume, as my passport was scanned and not stamped, this is the record of entry and exit, and this is the system that will be used throughout the EU when fully operational, as even through french borders recently my passport was scanned and then stamped.
In theory, once your biometrics are entered into the system, it should be straightforward, but that is only if all points of entry work to the same system.
I was under the impression that once you first Fully entered your biometrics, say on entry, you do not have to do it again until you renew your passport. So in theory you entered or exited with just your passport being scanned?
By the way, my full biometrics were taken at St Pancras in December as well
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@munich_irish, I wish I had your faith that some sort of integrated system exists! The advice on gov.uk advises that you should obtain a stamp. I have sent the site a message so hopefully that may prompt some action/investigation.
Unless of course they are not going to bother enforcing the 90 day rule until RES is fully integrated - kind of a “nothing to see here” face saving move.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@munich_irish,
“The current issue with EES seems to be mainly an issue with the French not being able to sort the IT so that the terminals etc communicate with the database“
If the french cannot get it to work, what hope is there for any of the smaller, less affluent countries?
And isn’t there another thread on here regarding the French changing their govt IT operating systems, read a couple of posts on that thread, but Its all hieroglyphics to me 
Talking of which, has anyone been through any of these borders since October when it was first supposed to have been introduced, such as Bulgaria (seeing as some SH’s may have gone there this season)
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There are two different issues here. There is a Schengen database which has been in existence for a long time. Every time a person enters or leaves Schengen their details are recorded (ID or Passports are scanned). This database works. It was a Brexit issue as the UK lost access to this, so the UK Police lost the ability to check on people movements. EES has a separate but supposedly linked database. The aim here is to record the biometric id details of non EU citizens visiting Schengen and to manage the 90 day thing, as is clear this is not currently working. However every entry and departure is recorded and could be checked if needed. No idea if this is possible by individual officers at borders.
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You know it makes sense.
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all of this effort essentially to refuse entry to 20k people 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Leaving Geneva with a "split" UK/EU passport group. EU passport instantly through, UK passport queue 45 minutes but was moving. Everyone got their flight.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Left Geneva yesterday afternoon noon, short queue for passport control, presented my passport was asked to use fingerprint screen. Gave me back my passport without stamping it. When I asked about it he said that stamping was finished
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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At Geneva now for flight back to Edinburgh, No passport stamp just finger prints and photo , same as on entry. Maybe 10 minutes queue.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Arrived in Lyon this morning…3 border controls bods on duty…2 doing EES registration for all they saw…1 just scanning passports and stamping the ‘old way’
Third flight into there so far this winter and still waiting to be EES registered, interesting to see what happens on return trip Sunday evening.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arrived Caen on Wednesday morning, no sign of any EES and passport not stamped.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Delayed report from Lyon airport.
Arrived 11 April-4 lonely looking EES machines. All red lighted and not used. Just as well because it would have taken a huge amount of time for just 4 machines to process everyone. UK passports directed to kiosks as usual, EU to e-gates. Interestingly, once EU passports processed, UK people at the back of the queue were told to use the e-gates instead.... In any case, everyone went through in 10-15 minutes either way.
Returned 18 April, not EES machines present at all. We were photographed and fingerprinted at the kiosk by the passport officer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Usual big project BS, if we ignore that it doesn’t work it means it does.
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Greece has just dumped EES for UK nationals until, probably, the autumn. Simon Calder in the Independent.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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returned through Geneva yesterday afternoon, joined the snake line just after exiting the walkway to gates, when i arrived there were 5 booths for non EU, and 3 booths for EU passport holders. looking back now, there were probably around 16booths all together but only around half (max) in operation at one time.
it took around 25mins to get through, but it was a bit disorganised, as the 5 non EU booths were spread across a lot of the booths, with some people just looking at the booths straight ahead of them to come free instead of scouting out the ones on the peripheries. it took some cajoling from other passengers behind to get them to move, occasionally an airport employee would walk up and help to do this, but then move away again.
also there was a shift change in the booths, but unfortunately no overlap between the new border guard opening their booth between the old border guard shutting down their booth, so for about 5 mins it went down to 3 operational booths, so could have gone a bit quicker.
just like entry into Geneva the previous weekend, my passport was scanned, photo and fingerprints taken, took about 90 seconds to process me.
no sign of any remote terminals installed anywhere, so assume Geneva will not be using this system 
I must admit, I have not been through Geneva for about 5 years, and did not remember that the passport Booths were close to the gates, has this always been the case?
I could see that there could be issues with delays getting through, with people browsing the Duty free or sitting in one of the bars or resto's.
I will be travelling to France again in a couple of weeks, on a weekend coach trip via Dover/Calais, so will see what is in place there by then. Then again a few weeks after that (in cars), to Le Mans via Portsmouth/Cherbourg, will note what is in place there as well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You do not need to provide your fingerprints or photograph again as part of the registration but they will be checked on each entry to Schengen...if the system is working and/or if that particular country can be bothered. The whole thing is a nonsense...massively ambitious and not working properly. Makes UK government IT look good.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Hurdy wrote: |
| You do not need to provide your fingerprints or photograph again as part of the registration but they will be checked on each entry to Schengen...if the system is working and/or if that particular country can be bothered. The whole thing is a nonsense...massively ambitious and not working properly. Makes UK government IT look good. |
Some UK government is good some is appalling , I have two government gateway log ins as they seem totally unable to combine the service for defra and hmrc, as for make tax digital that worked well when I joined for vat years ago and even for the new self assessment one, but despite being registered it wont let me access the new self assessment one but only the old vat route.
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You know it makes sense.
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Delayed report from Munich. Pre registration terminals in T2 fully operational and no delays inbound on the 11th and outbound on the 18th.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Greece has suspended EES checks for British citizen for the foreseeable future. Brits are now ushered into a separate queue for old fashioned checking and a stamp.
This has led to one TO using the strap line Sun, Sand and No EES Stress!
I wonder how long before other countries with mass British tourism will follow?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Back home from the EoSB via the chunnel yesterday (Saturday) morning. Booked on the 09:52, offered the 09:22 free of charge. Departure boards implying 30 minuite delays at immigration/customs, so joined the queue about 08:30.
French exit - 3 lanes open, quick scan of the passport, no stamp, done.
British entry - Bit of a faff. It seems the new UK entry rules requiring EU visitors to have a 'visa' were causing delays. Three lanes open, and seemed to take about 3-5 minutes per non UK car. Once I'd got to the booth is was 'where ya been', 'how long for', 'this your car' and then through - perhaps 30 seconds.
Was one of the last loaded onto the 08:52 and home in time for the 12:30 kick-off. Which was a shame - if Yeovil had just scored 4 more goals, we'd have won 5-4.
Anyway, 4 ski trips this winter, and haven't been biometric-ed anywhere.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So much for the press release of 10/04/2026, only took 2 weeks to break.
“Entry/Exit System fully deployed across the EU
Today marks the completion of the progressive roll-out of the Entry/Exit System (EES) across the Schengen Area. As of 10 April 2026, all Schengen countries have deployed the system at their external borders, concluding a coordinated 180-day implementation phase following its entry into operation in October 2025.”
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| chocksaway wrote: |
Greece has suspended EES checks for British citizen for the foreseeable future. Brits are now ushered into a separate queue for old fashioned checking and a stamp.
This has led to one TO using the strap line Sun, Sand and No EES Stress!
I wonder how long before other countries with mass British tourism will follow? |
More countries have now joined suspending ees, though only for an initial 90 days followed by a 60 day extension if required to cover the summer peak period
https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/2196792/spain-greece-italy-ees-system-passport-brits-travel
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Off to Venice on Thursday- so Italy have dropped it too?(cant get past paywall/deny cookies on Express website)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mrs Z and I went through Milan Malpensa this weekend.
On both outward and return legs, the EES machine told me to go through the biometric option while Mrs Z had to join the manual check option? Yet there were no differences in our responses to its questions?
Both queues were similar in length anyway?
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
Mrs Z and I went through Milan Malpensa this weekend.
On both outward and return legs, the EES machine told me to go through the biometric option while Mrs Z had to join the manual check option? Yet there were no differences in our responses to its questions?
Both queues were similar in length anyway? |
Queue managing, as that is what EES is making a mess of? Some sent thru the gates, some to the manual check.
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Return trip from EOSB via Geneva sector C was easy, about a 5 minute queue. Only had finger prints taken and no stamp. Inbound the queue was less than expected but growing once I had got to the man in the box, finger prints only (I think) and no stamp.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Switzerland generally seems to win the prize for “worst actual implementation”. Into Zurich this morning- 2 queues, one for people using EES machines, one for people not using them. But… the queue manager would only allow a few people at a time to use EES, sending the rest of the Brits to the huge non-EES line. I joined the back of the EES line which was 10 mins vs the other one was at least 30.
This also demonstrated that my pre-reg at Geneva in November was still valid at Zurich 6 months later, ie I didn’t need to revisit the EES machines.
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Frankfurt this morning EES in operation, big queues for non EU, e gates busier than have seen before (perhaps just a busy day). No sign of a staffed EU lane (for families etc) just one big queue.
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FAQ
