How does EES affect me if I need to travel to France urgently?

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will not affect those who need to make sudden or urgent travel plans in a way different to those who booked months in advance. 

If you are going through the system for the first time and belong to one of the groups that needs to register, you will be required to do so, handing over biometric information as other passengers must. 

Partial pre-registration through an app may help slightly speed up the process, but the app is not set to launch until 2026.

If you have previously already registered and are re-entering, you will pass through border control following standard procedures. 

The only way you will be limited is if you have used up your full 90-day allowance for visa-free access to the Schengen Zone (but this applied before, and was checked against passport stamps).

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to apply for an ‘emergency visa’ but this is not always possible and can take some time to be approved. 

Etias requires pre-approval 

Etias, set to be introduced after EES, is a travel authorisation system that will require passengers who currently benefit from visa-free access to the Schengen Zone to obtain a visa-waiver.

The EU states that most applications will be approved in minutes, but warns that in some cases it may take several days and when launched will advise people to apply in advance. 

If you need to travel urgently and believe your application may be refused (or it has been refused), you will be able to ask for a special visa-waiver on ‘humanitarian’ or ‘important obligation’ grounds’.

If approved by the country you are planning to visit, this will allow you to enter the country for a short period of time to carry out the necessary actions. 

If it is refused, you will be able to lodge an appeal.