 Poster: A snowHead
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As been widely publicised the EES finally starts October 12. Like many other travellers I’d like to take a short trip to France either by tunnel or ferry before the end of the year to get the biometric data sorted. like others in the forum my motivation is we ski February half term and the tunnel is mental without the need to supply biometric data.
I’ve searched and all I can find is summary information on the phased implementation between October 12 and end April 2026 not which borders it will affect and when. Hoping someone with a finger on the pulse might have some intel on a timeline for the phase of the EES? Rather not book a short hop and not be required to supply data but come February half term is it required.
Perhaps no one knows yet and it’ll be a case of badgering the tunnel but thought it worth an question on here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I see your logic but my fear is regardless if you have already loaded your biometric data or not, you will still be at the back of a very long queue.
Do you think they will have 2 queues, 1 for registering & another for already registered?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| Do you think they will have 2 queues, 1 for registering & another for already registered? |
I don’t think so. Everyone will have to use the EES terminals that they’ve constructed in the new giant shed at the Folkestone terminal. For your first visit you’ll need to register fingerprints, facial scan and passport details, and subsequent visits will just be one bit of biometric data so should be quicker than the first time you use the EES kiosk. But I don’t think there will be a separate queue or kiosks to be used by those who have already registered their details.
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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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Last I heard was a more or less random introduction, so even where it has gone 'live' on a border it might be in use one day/not the next.
As a go-live strategy it's very sensible. It's not a "big bang" that potentially finds a weak point, bring the system down, nobody's prepared to roll back to the current process, and chaos ensues. No, you get to try it for a couple of hours, see how it flows/where you maybe need to add a snake or member of staff to stream people, etc and then ramp up over time, monitoring the system to see if it starts to buckle under load at all.
But as a punter trying to do a quick, cheap crossing somewhere in order to get in the system ahead of the rest of your plane for your first big trip - not so helpful.
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I’m sure it will all work fine.
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Had crossed my mind that regardless of previously entering data we'd all have to sit in the same queue.
We are able to leave around midday from Guildford area but it'll still be very busy. Around 1830pm this February the tunnel was bonkers even to get to the initial gate off M11. To be expected sadly.
I have said to wife if it all goes completely Pete Tong we'll be driving through the night I can't deal with a Friday ad Saturday drive like this February half term again!
I also pay a pretty penny for Flexiplus so expecting my own personal biometric booth.
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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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The UAE has biometric scans (as opposed to the UK's facial recognition).
Even as recently as August (when my nine year old was asked by immigration to get her retina scanned) there is a different counter to do the fingerprints and retinas. My data is probably closing in on 20 years old and it was the same back then. Over the last few years they have been trialing new ones where you don't even get your passport out. You just walk through a fancy line and it recognises you. Seems that they haven't quite got that to work yet as every time I've been through one I end up getting sent to the officer for a stamp.
I'm assuming that kids will be exempt from this still? Up to a certain age obviously.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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To be fair to Eurotunnel, they have built some pretty impressive infrastructure to support this and were ready on-time before the deployment dates were pulled.
Let's just hope their modelling was right and that the provided EES technology actually works.
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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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Was going through Frankfurt airport today. There are various EES terminals doted around. I noticed that one group (in terminal B) were live ie green lights with signs saying "test". I guess this is to allow individuals to use them . I am back there on Friday and if get time will take a closer look.
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If they have any sense (so not taking bets on this) they will allocate say 1 in 10 machines to those that have already registered at the start of EES and increase the number depending on flights in, queues, time since EES went live etc.
Not rocket science
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You know it makes sense.
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But, at eurotunnel for instance, once you are registered on the system at the new building won't all future scans be at the usual French customs officer booths?
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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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| BoardieK wrote: |
| But, at eurotunnel for instance, once you are registered on the system at the new building won't all future scans be at the usual French customs officer booths? |
No, you have to use the self-sevice kiosk every time.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| HilbertSpace wrote: |
| BoardieK wrote: |
| But, at eurotunnel for instance, once you are registered on the system at the new building won't all future scans be at the usual French customs officer booths? |
No, you have to use the self-sevice kiosk every time. |
So doesn't that confirm that there will be no material advantage to already being logged in the system - the constraints will be kiosk capacity and parking/vehicle queuing around this regardless?
Struggling to see how vehicle flow works under this system unless the kiosks are basically just part of the existing terminal set up?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dave of the Marmottes, I suspect another constraint will be people who didn't know it was a thing and just gawp at it all for a bit.
I've not been bothered to read much of the previous, but it does seem that the system will be more suited to airports than to ferry or tunnel.
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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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Looking at where it is at Shuttle, it looks as if you will have to do this after check-in but before the customs posts. I.e. after doing your scans you still wait in holding car park by terminal. I guess info is relayed to customs.
This "should" mean no delays actually boarding, but may be worth allowing extra time on arrival. All will become clear no doubt
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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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@Boris, I assume you either get a printed QR code which shows you've met EES or that it's logged against your passport for when the border officer scans it - the go around loop will still need to be accessible for those they need to send back quite often though I would think.
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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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| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| ... it does seem that the system will be more suited to airports than to ferry or tunnel. |
It was only designed for 'international' travellers arriving at airports spread across the continent. They never thought they'd need to handle huge numbers of British travellers, especially those using ports and rail services with juxtaposed passport checks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| HilbertSpace wrote: |
| BoardieK wrote: |
| But, at eurotunnel for instance, once you are registered on the system at the new building won't all future scans be at the usual French customs officer booths? |
No, you have to use the self-sevice kiosk every time. |
Yep, the self service bit basically just flags you in the system as being 'fine' or 'needing review'. If you're 'fine' when the automated facial recognition at the passport desk picks you up the border official will get a 'green tick' and just wave you through. If your face doesn't trigger a 'green tick', they'll stop you and ask for your passport. I'd guess there will be some random stops in there too, just to keep them awake.
So basically saves the border official having to take everyone's passport/shove it in the reader/see if there's a 'green tick' or not.
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@Mjit, sounds like that's why it won't work for people in a car so passports needed anyway.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| @Mjit, sounds like that's why it won't work for people in a car so passports needed anyway. |
Or will all the passengers in 1 car get grouped based on the booking ID, which maps to the car reg., which the ANPR cameras can pick out? Or maybe they will tie a single person as the 'group leader' and do a facial check on just one person in the car at the border post/get a car-wide tick or cross?
Or maybe it will all fail in the first couple of days and get kicked down the lane again 
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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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Just doing some googling and this would seem to indicate that there will be a seperate stream if already registered
In addition to the pre-enrolment areas, we have installed dynamic signage and an intelligent lane allocation system that recognises the status of passengers in the vehicle (EU nationals, non-EU travellers to the EU or travellers who already registered with EES). On arrival at check-in, the vehicle number plate is read by a camera. The system then combines the vehicle plate number with the advanced passenger information entered by the customer during the booking to determine the vehicle status. The vehicle is then guided intuitively and rapidly to the correct parking space.
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@Boris, I've only travelled on the tunnel once, but intuitive was not a word which sprang to mind. Same applies with Dover.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I shall be in Italy when it commences, returning home from Naples airport on 15th Oct.
How might I be affected by this?
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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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Has anyone heard whats happening with flexi plus - will there be a dedicated queue or are those with these tickets in with everyone else which means that there is no fast track to boarder control?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
I shall be in Italy when it commences, returning home from Naples airport on 15th Oct.
How might I be affected by this? |
It's done on the outbound journey isn't it? So unlikely to have any effect on you coming back.
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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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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Ray Zorro wrote: |
I shall be in Italy when it commences, returning home from Naples airport on 15th Oct.
How might I be affected by this? |
It's done on the outbound journey isn't it? So unlikely to have any effect on you coming back. |
Flying back from Rome (last year just before it was due to be implemented but abandoned) there were terminals (not enabled) in the departure lounge. Although I assume EES is only required on entry, I guessed these were so you could register in advance on exit. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Ray Zorro wrote: |
I shall be in Italy when it commences, returning home from Naples airport on 15th Oct.
How might I be affected by this? |
It's done on the outbound journey isn't it? So unlikely to have any effect on you coming back. |
I hope that is the case, but as it is an entry/exit system I am assuming that they would have to do the same checks on the return journey for their database to be updated?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You'll need to use the scanners on exit to update days in the EU...eventually. I it may well be that you'll have to scan out to prove you've left the EU
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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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This is taken from Simon Calder at the Independent (the best travel writer)
I was trialling the new entry-exit system (EES) registration kiosks at London St Pancras International, in readiness for the start of the system on 12 October. Thanks to Brexit, UK travellers have proudly achieved the status of “third-country nationals” alongside Venezuelans and Tongans. We are subject to France’s tests for admission: proof of booked accommodation, a ticket home and enough cash for each day of the stay. Currently the last of these is calculated as three-and-a-half hours’ work at the daily national minimum wage. That figure is currently £36, which most of us could manage without resorting to deceit.
One more demand: robust medical insurance that will cover health-care costs. This goes beyond the coverage of the Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic), which is intended to provide care under the same terms as the locals in nations across Europe. The French need proof that, should such medical care ultimately prove unsuccessful, your “expenses in the event of death” would be covered. Given unscrupulous traveller behaviour in the past, some British tourists will simply fib – ticking the "Yes" box on the screen even if they do not meet all the red-tape requirements. But the French authorities warn: “Your answers are binding, you may be asked to provide proof.”
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| You'll need to use the scanners on exit to update days in the EU...eventually. I it may well be that you'll have to scan out to prove you've left the EU |
AIUI tracking days in schegen isn't part of EES. That'll be done by ETIAS which isnt being implemented until the last ¼ of 2026. So manual stamping is probably still needed until then.
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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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| radar wrote: |
| One more demand: robust medical insurance that will cover health-care costs. This goes beyond the coverage of the Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic), which is intended to provide care under the same terms as the locals in nations across Europe. The French need proof that, should such medical care ultimately prove unsuccessful, your “expenses in the event of death” would be covered. Given unscrupulous traveller behaviour in the past, some British tourists will simply fib – ticking the "Yes" box on the screen even if they do not meet all the red-tape requirements. But the French authorities warn: “Your answers are binding, you may be asked to provide proof.” |
So that's an interesting one. OK so to enter France you have to have medical insurance, fine, but do you have to have it to enter Switzerland/Germany/...? And if you don't need it for one of those will they still have the question on the terminal or just the <country> rules (remembering that there won't be another terminal between <country> and France)?
Now at the end of the day doesn't matter to me/shouldn't matter to anyone on here as crazy IMHO to ski without medical insurance and for most people a tiny percentage of the total trip cost, but will be interesting to see.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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By having a GHIC card one has medical insurance so can respond 'yes' to that question, surely?
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| James the Last wrote: |
| By having a GHIC card one has medical insurance so can respond 'yes' to that question, surely? |
Its not insurance, it puts you on the sane footing for medical treatment as locals. If they need to pay for something , you need to pay. Nor does it cover repatriation costs.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 26-09-25 13:32; edited 1 time in total
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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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@James the Last, GHIC doesn't include repatriation
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| Ray Zorro wrote: |
I shall be in Italy when it commences, returning home from Naples airport on 15th Oct.
How might I be affected by this? |
It's done on the outbound journey isn't it? So unlikely to have any effect on you coming back. |
Not if this happens according to the Independent:
Granted, I’m not familiar with the channel to judge its trustworthiness.
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FAQ
