With just days to go before the long-promised completion of the EU entry-exit system (EES), The Independent has learnt the digital border scheme is unravelling.
Some nations in the Schengen area are processing “third-country nationals”, including the British, in accordance with the rules laid down by Brussels. But others – notably France, the most popular country in the world for overseas visitors – are far from ready, despite the progressive roll-out of the scheme over six months.
“Wet stamping” of passports when entering or leaving the Schengen area was due to disappear by 10 April, but is likely to continue at some frontiers. At others, the only data collected may be basic passport details rather than biometrics.
The much-delayed roll-out began on 12 October 2025. The European Commission insists that the scheme is already proving highly effective in detecting overstays and wanted criminals.
But the long-planned European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) – the so-called “euro visa” – looks extremely unlikely to be in effect before the end of the year, despite repeated pledges that it will be.
These are the key questions and answers.
What’s the big idea?
Brussels has promised “the most modern IT border system in the world”. To keep tabs on who is coming and going, “third-country nationals” such as the British will be registered in the entry-exit system every time they cross an external frontier. This means arrivals and departures at airports, land borders and ports in the Schengen area (comprising the EU except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
The aims of the digital borders scheme are:
- To identify suspected criminals
- To combat identity fraud
- To police the limit on stays of 90 days in any 180 days that applies to UK and other nationalities
According to the rules, British travellers will need to register the four fingerprints from their right hand (not required of children under 12) and a facial biometric on their first encounter with EES.
Once registered, on subsequent encounters you should be asked to supply only one biometric when entering and leaving the Schengen area; this is almost certain to be the face. But reports from travellers indicate that you may be asked for both face and fingerprints on multiple occasions.
A European Commission spokesperson told The Independent: “This is about the security of Europeans. With the EES, we are building the most modern IT border system in the world. In the past five months, we had more than 44.5 million entries and exits registered. There have been over 24,000 refusals of entry, of which over 600 persons were assessed to be security threats to the Union.
What’s the problem?
Each of the member states, being sovereign nations, is introducing the system at its Schengen area frontiers in its own way. These range from a single airport in the case of Luxembourg to nations with possibly dozens of airports, ferry ports, road and rail borders – such as France, Greece, Poland and Spain.
Member states have typically installed ranks of EES kiosks – equipped to take facial biometrics and fingerprints – at each frontier. But there are known problems connecting to the central database.
Particular concern has been expressed about the three UK locations where frontier formalities are “juxtaposed” – with French Police aux Frontières conducting checks on British soil.
These comprise the Eurotunnel LeShuttle terminal at Folkestone terminal, the Port Of Dover and the Eurostar hub at London St Pancras International.
The UK government has provided £10m towards the necessary infrastructure investment. But the three locations have spent many tens of millions of pounds more to create registration areas for British and other travellers to register their biometrics.
Yet they are standing idle, reportedly because of connectivity problems on the French side.
What will happen when I arrive at a Schengen area frontier?
It is impossible to predict. These are four of the possible scenarios:
Classic EES
You approach the entry-exit system kiosk and insert your passport as indicated on the screen. The system knows whether you are registered. If you are not, you will provide the necessary face and fingerprints for storage on the database. If you have already been through the system, you should be asked only to provide a facial biometric. You will then be directed either to eGates or a human border officer.
From 10 April 2026 you should not have your passport stamped.
EES plus
This is the case when you know for a fact that you have provided your facial biometric and fingerprints, typically on your way in to a Schengen area country, but then have to provide both once again – either on the way out, or on a subsequent entry, or both. The explanation could be that your biometrics were not properly recorded at the first attempt – or that the member state wants to do things its own way.
EES minus
At frontiers that are particularly busy, or where the biometric equipment is not functioning properly, you may simply have your passport scanned by a border officer. This will be registered on the entry-exit system database. No wet stamping should be necessary.
What EES?
The Independent understands that some nations will completely suspend interaction with the entry-exit system at some crossing points for the summer. If this happens, wet stamping will continue.
Such an imbalance has plenty of scope for creating anomalies, such as entering country A with only a passport stamp, but leaving nation B through EES – without ever apparently having arrived. It is likely that such anomalies will be overlooked by the authorities until the system is fully working.
I have heard about long delays at airports
Many travellers have told The Independent of extremely long queues at airports where the EES is already in force: both on entry and exit. There have been some cases of departing passengers missing flights because the waits are so long.
Two key aviation leaders in Europe – Olivier Jankovec, representing airports, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, representing airlines – have issued a joint statement warning: “The combination of full registration requirements and reduced operational flexibility is expected to place unprecedented strain on border control operations.”
They are calling on the European Commission and member states to fully or partially suspend EES “where operationally necessary” during the summer of 2026, citing:
- Persistent and structural shortages of border control staff
- Technical and maintenance issues with self-service kiosks
- Concerns over the reliability of the central EES IT system
A European Commission spokesperson said the organisation “is aware of the concerns expressed” and “has been engaging constructively with the industry”. They added: “With the system operating well, it takes only 70 seconds to register an entry or exit.”
What is happening with the Etias?
This is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, akin to the UK’s ETA and the US Esta, and colloquially known as a euro visa. It will become mandatory for third-country nationals who do not require a full EU visa.
The Commission insists: “Etias will start operations in the last quarter of 2026.” But that seems extremely unlikely, since it requires the entry-exit system to be working well for at least six months before it begins.
Travellers are assured: “The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of Etias several months prior to its launch.”
What does the European Commission say about all this?
The spokesperson said: “All member states had declared their readiness ahead of its progressive launch. This was a legal precondition for setting the launch date of the EES.
“Despite the agreed timeline, a few member states are encountering technical difficulties. The Commission is in close contact with these member states and also sharing best practices from member states where the system is working well.
“The EES rules foresee flexibility to ensure border fluidity. There are fall-back solutions that member states can rely on if needed.”
The final line points to the feeling in Brussels that individual nations are not doing well enough: “Border fluidity should also be ensured by the member states by providing enough resources and personnel at heavy-traffic border crossing points.”
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