Older Britons struggle with EES due to faded fingerprints
'After five attempts I had to join a very long queue to pass through passport control'
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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.
The Connexion readers have shared their own experiences of problems registering fingerprints under EES.
One reader, aged 72, said she made five unsuccessful attempts to register her fingerprints when travelling from London to Rome Fiumicino in late May.
“After five attempts I had to join a very long queue to pass through passport control.” - S.S.
Another reader said he has passed through EES several times since its introduction but has repeatedly received an error message at the e-gate and been directed to a border guard.
During his most recent journey, the border guard showed him that the little finger on his right hand had not been recorded. He has an old injury to that finger and believes this may have been the reason.
He contacted the EU's Europe Direct service, which told him that travellers who are physically unable to provide fingerprints are exempt from the requirement.
It also explained that, in the case of a temporary problem such as an injury, travellers may be asked to provide their fingerprints on a subsequent journey if the injury has healed.
"Next time I will try and register using my left hand or if the queue is shorter will just go direct to the Border Guard." - P.C.
A third reader, aged 80, encountered a similar problem while collecting her renewed French passport at her local town hall.
The electronic fingerprint scanner repeatedly failed to register her prints, even after she tried the other hand. Staff eventually worked out that an arthritic finger was causing the problem.
A town hall official helped hold the finger straight while she followed the scanner's instructions, after which the print was successfully captured.
“After much lost dignity the kind town hall lady managed to hold my finger straight so the mission was accomplished.” - D.M.
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
