What the new border control system means for your journey

Larger French airports, Paris’s Gare du Nord and the Eurotunnel terminal near Calais have kiosks where travellers who have biometric passports can enter some of the data required by the new EES. 

This may include answering short questions about their travel plans SEE PAGE 5 – and having a photo and right-hand fingerprint scan taken. There is an English-language option. 

The traveller still, however, has to pass a border official’s desk for a final check that they are the person shown on the passport. In addition, Britons, Americans and many other nationalities will be able to avoid the step of having to pass before a border official’s desk on subsequent entries and exits by using the Parafe passport e-gates where these exist. 

France is making full use of the chance to ‘phase in’ the start and planned for a small-scale launch only on October 12.

 The Interior Ministry stated prior to launch: “The vast majority of border crossing points (including the port of Dover, London St Pancras station, and Eurotunnel in Folkestone) will begin using EES on a small scale between 14:00 and 16:00 for a few travellers, with or without biometric data collection. 

“The technological measures designed to speed up the process will be gradually activated over the coming weeks; they will not be necessary in the early days given the low volume of travellers who will be registered in EES and the lack of any visible effect on screening times.

Air passengers

Air passengers can expect to find EES in operation at all airports, but with different phase-in rules as to who is checked.

The two-stage process with preregistration booths is in place at larger airports such as Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly, and Nice. 

At small airports it is all completed at the guard’s booth, as there is no pre-registration equipment. 

The EU’s Travel to Europe app may help collect some data for those opting to use it, but is not in use at launch in France. 

Contrary to initial reports, where kiosks exist and are set up to take fingerprints it is not expected that these will have to be taken again by border guards. EES does not apply at British, American or other foreign airports.

Ferry passengers

Ferry passengers register on entry/exit from French ports or at Dover where French checks are carried out on UK soil. 

At Dover (France bound) EES was operational from day one for lorries and coaches, with other passengers affected from November 1. 

Halls have been built in the western docks where coaches are directed. Passengers get out to use self-service kiosks to enter their data before they pass through a border. 

The coach is then ‘sealed’ and proceeds to the check-in area at the ferry terminal. Cars are directed to a new area near the coach building, where they pull up. Occupants get out and go into a building to pre-register at kiosks and give biometrics. They then drive to the eastern docks for final border checks. 

On subsequent exits, once people are in the system, they go straight to the eastern docks. 

At Calais (UK bound) EES initially affected lorry drivers, who are registered in EES at the point at which they pass the border guard’s booth, and some coaches – 10-20% but gradually increasing. 

Selected coaches are directed to an area where passengers get off the coach and use kiosks to pre-register in a dedicated building (the same building as already used for border checks for coaches), before the coach then travels on to the border. 

Travellers in cars were expected to start later, probably in November. After having passed their check-in with the ferry company and before they pass the border guard’s booth, an agent with a tablet computer will come to the car for their preregistration. 

They will not need to go to a specific area and will not need to get out. Ports de Normandie, which manages Cherbourg, Caen-Ouistreham and Dieppe, did not announce plans to start immediately, but intends to deploy tablets, to be handed to people in cars to complete their details before they pass before a border guard for final checks.

Foot and coach passengers will get out to use kiosks.

Eurostar

Eurostar passengers are processed at London St Pancras on going to France, or at Paris’ Gare du Nord on trips to the UK. Eurostar stated that at first “only select routes and passenger groups” would be asked to pre-register at kiosks, while the previous, familiar process would continue for others. 

Travellers affected are asked to: 

• Read guidance that will be provided on booking, so they know what to expect

•  Scan their passports at self-service kiosks on arrival. These also take a fingerprint scan and a facial photo. 

• Wait in a departures area before being called to a security barrier for luggage scans 

• Pass in front of UK border guards

• Pass in front of French border police A Eurostar spokesman said it aimed to minimise the impact on clients. 

They added: “We installed around 65 precheck-in kiosks in our terminals at St Pancras and at the Gare du Nord. 

“We are also significantly reinforcing border control capacity with additional manual booths and electronic gates at both stations.” 

The firm said passengers do not need to arrive earlier than the usual requirement of 75 minutes before departure and staff will help to direct them to the kiosks. 

Eurotunnel

Eurotunnel travellers will have EES checks at Folkestone, England on heading to France and at Coquelles, France, on going to the UK. 

Operators Getlink report installing a total of 224 kiosks on the two sides and 7,000m2 of covered drivethrough pre-registration zones. 

It began registering coach passengers from October 12 as well as commercial (freight) traffic.

Passenger vehicles were set to follow “a few weeks later”. 

A spokeswoman said: “At our terminals, the travel questions are not included on the kiosk screens, allowing our EES process to remain quick, simple, and efficient. The decision to ask specific questions is left to the discretion of the border officer at the booth.” 

Cars are directed towards these areas, where each individual vehicle bay is equipped with two kiosks. The driver and passenger/s get out to use them. An automated system is in place to read number plates to direct drivers appropriately, depending on the information supplied on booking.