What about subsequent visits?
Discover how new biometric checks will streamline your future travels
What will happen on subsequent entries into the EU after the initial creation of an EES record? We expect to be coming and going regularly as we have a French second home and we also ski in winter.
Once your details have been entered into the system, it is intended that the process should be faster for subsequent entries and exits.
However, at least one of the biometric data requirements – so either fingerprints or facial image – must in theory be checked again on each entry and exit.
This is expected to usually be the facial image.
The exact process for this may vary depending on your point of entry or exit.
With Eurostar, for example, a spokesman said the company expects that for subsequent journeys travellers will have to go to one of the pre-registration kiosks for facial recognition and to answer one of the previously answered four travel questions.
Eurotunnel also confirmed that a visit to a kiosk for another facial scan will be required on subsequent trips.
Please note that as of spring 2026, technical issues were still be experienced with EES kiosks, leading them to be frequently turned off. In this case you may have to pass by a border guard's desk, unless invited to use an e-gate instead, where these exist.