Older Britons struggle with EES due to faded fingerprints

Some British travellers report facing issues with the fingerprint stage of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) which is not working for them due to faded fingerprints. 

The system requires non-EU nationals, including British citizens, who do not have an EU residency card, to provide biometric information, including a facial image and fingerprints. 

However, some passengers have reported that EES kiosks cannot read their fingerprints, leaving them unable to complete the automated process and forcing them to join queues for processing by a border officer, with some reporting waits of several hours.

The issue usually involves older travellers, whose fingerprints may become less distinct with age, but it can also affect people for medical or technical reasons.

For example, an 80-year-old traveller said: “I tried several times, on different machines and with assistance from a member of staff, but to no avail. My fingerprints would not register,” reports The Telegraph.

She said she suspected this was linked to her age, adding that her fingers were probably “worn smooth” and no longer had enough ridge detail for the scanner to capture.

Why fingerprints can become difficult to scan

Research by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has shown that fingerprint quality can decline with age.

The JRC study ‘A Study of Age and Ageing in Fingerprint Biometrics’ (2019) analysed more than 400,000 fingerprint samples from people aged between 0 and 98. Researchers found that fingerprint image quality decreases among older people, with a gradual decline observed from around the age of 65 onwards.

The study noted that older fingerprints can present lower quality for biometric matching, meaning scanners may have greater difficulty obtaining a usable image.

Fingerprint recognition can also be affected by other factors, including:

• repeated manual work that wears down the skin ridges on the fingertips

• dry skin or skin conditions affecting the hands

• injuries or scarring

• some medical treatments, including certain chemotherapy treatments

What happens in these cases 

Under EU rules, people who are physically unable to provide fingerprints should not be required to do so.

Article 17(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 states: “Persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible shall be exempt from the requirement to give fingerprints.”

The regulation adds that where the inability is temporary, this should be recorded and the person may be asked to provide fingerprints at a later entry or exit. 

It also requires Member States to ensure that “appropriate procedures guaranteeing the dignity of the person” are in place when difficulties occur during fingerprint capture.

The main concern, however, is how border authorities apply the EU requirement in practice as The European Commission has not specified a single EU-wide procedure for dealing with passengers whose fingerprints cannot be recorded at a kiosk.

Have you experienced problems with fingerprint checks under the EES?

The Connexion would like to hear from readers who have been unable to complete fingerprint registration at an EU border. You can send your experience to feedback@connexionfrance.com