EES checks for car travellers will not start at Dover 'until 2026'
Digital border checks to start early next year as authorities await approval from French counterparts
At the Port of Dover, the Entry/Exit System applies only to coach/foot passengers and freight drivers
Lukassek/Shutterstock
Plans to extend the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) to car passengers travelling through the Port of Dover have been paused until “early 2026”, with port authorities saying they are ready but awaiting final approval from their French counterparts.
The digital border system, which records the movements of non-EU nationals entering and leaving the Schengen area, was launched on October 12. At Dover, it currently applies only to coach / foot passengers and freight drivers.
The port had previously planned to begin registering car passengers on November 1.
However, that rollout was postponed just before the weekend, with the port confirming it is still waiting for a start date from the French border agency.
Chief executive Doug Bannister said Dover’s facilities were ready for November 1, but activation would only proceed on instruction from the French authorities. “We have asked for a minimum of two weeks’ notice to start in order to give us time to inform travellers and install the necessary signage,” he said.
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In a further statement on November 7, the port emphasised that it is continuing to work closely with French partners “to ensure a smooth introduction” of the EES for tourist passengers “in early 2026”.
The port said progress so far had been positive, with nearly 13,000 traveller profiles created during the initial rollout for coaches, freight and foot passengers - more than 30% of all registrations made by French seaports since the system began.
When the EES is extended to cars, passengers will need to leave their vehicles to scan their passports and, in due course, provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images at new self-service kiosks. They will then proceed to the final manual border check before boarding.
The new procedures are expected to initially lengthen processing times - potentially up to six times longer than current passport stamping - but officials say future crossings should be faster once passengers are fully registered.
EES rules are being phased in across all French border points, with full enforcement due by April 10, 2026. Until then, authorities can switch off biometric data capture to help ease congestion during the transition.
Travellers are advised to monitor updates from their ferry operators and allow extra time for journeys once the system expands to car passengers.
