EU’s Entry/Exit System Won’t Launch Until Nov 2025: How It Will Affect &#1

EU’s Entry/Exit System Won’t Launch Until Nov 2025: How It Will Affect Your Travel

Travellers heading to Europe will have another year before the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) border checks come into effect, with the latest estimate pushing implementation to November 2025.

Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover, has confirmed that EES is not expected to be implemented at the Channel ports before November 2025. This aligns with the latest estimate received from the Department for Transport.

EES has been delayed several times and officials say the system will be introduced gradually over six months rather than in one big rollout.

What Is the EES and How Will It Affect Travellers?

The EES is an automated border control system that will apply to all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area, regardless of visa requirements. Instead of receiving a passport stamp, visitors will need to register their biometric data—including fingerprints and facial scans—upon arrival.

Once registered, travellers can enter and exit the EU using facial recognition for up to three years, unless they switch to a new passport, which would require re-registration.

While this change is expected to streamline border controls in the long run, the initial rollout is likely to cause significant delays at key entry points such as Dover-Calais ferry crossings, Eurostar terminals, and airports.

Eurostar Prepares for EES with New e-Gates

At London’s St Pancras station, Eurostar is ramping up preparations by increasing the number of ePassport gates from 8 to 11 and installing 49 EES pre-registration kiosks. This expansion aims to minimise disruption once the new system goes live.

However, as part of this transition, Eurostar’s SmartCheck biometric check-in lanes will be discontinued from February 13, 2025. The company has used SmartCheck to test and refine future border technology, but the EES will ultimately replace it.

How Will the EES Work?

First-Time Entry: Travellers must undergo fingerprint scans and facial biometric registration.
Subsequent Trips: Only a facial biometric scan will be required (within three years of the initial registration).
EU Travellers: Citizens of Schengen countries can use special lanes with minimal checks.
Exceptions: Travellers from Ireland and Cyprus—EU countries outside Schengen—will not be required to register.

While EES might add a bit of extra time to your travel plans, it's a necessary step towards a more secure and efficient travel experience for everyone.

With the system now set to launch in November 2025, travellers have extra time to prepare. However, those planning trips in the months following implementation should expect longer wait times at key border crossings as the new system is phased in.

If you plan to visit the Schengen Area and need help with your Schengen Visa application, feel free to reach out to IaM.

Do you have plans to travel to the Schengen Area in the coming months? Talk to us in the comment section below. Or if you need more advice on the above, contact us for further travel & immigration advice.

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