UK border control operators are ready for EES: Eurotunnel CEO

Operators of UK border controls on cross-Channel routes to the EU, including Eurotunnel, the Port of Dover and Eurostar, have announced their readiness for the rollout of Europe’s Entry-Exit System (EES) in October.

According to Yann Leriche, CEO of Eurotunnel operator Getlink, operators do not expect any delays thanks to the gradual introduction of the EES.

“There will be no chaos. We have had many, many months to get prepared for this,” Leriche told the BBC.

Starting October 12th, freight and coach passenger border controls will be introduced at both Dover Port and the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone. Private vehicle passengers will begin with EES registration on November 1st at Dover, while the Eurotunnel will implement the checks for passenger cars by year-end.

Eurotunnel has installed a total of 224 biometric kiosks designed by IN Groupe across its terminals in Folkestone and Calais for British travelers to submit their photo and fingerprints. The company expects that the process will add approximately two minutes per passenger for each journey, handling 700 vehicles an hour.

Eurostar will take a different approach, inviting a select group of business travelers to pilot the system starting in October. The railway service has installed 49 EES kiosks at the London St Pancras train terminal.

The introduction of the Schengen-wide system, which digitally records the entry and exit of third-country nationals, will be implemented over a six-month period until April 2026. During this time, operators will be able to suspend the border scheme and revert to manual passport stamping in the event of delays.

The UK government has awarded £10.5 million (US$13.8 million) in funding to Eurotunnel, the Port of Dover and Eurostar to support the introduction of border infrastructure, including registration kiosks. It has also kicked off a public information campaign to introduce the EES across social media, transport operators and travel websites.

“While we have done everything we can to ensure the required infrastructure is in place, anyone who is planning a trip to the European mainland once these checks are introduced will still need to allow more time for their journey as the new EU systems bed in,” a Home Office spokesperson said earlier this month.

Brits traveling by air, on the other hand, will need to register for the EES upon arrival at the border. Airports are preparing for potentially long queues and delays.

Airports in Athens, Bucharest and Milan Malpensa are the most susceptible to disruption, aviation economist Oliver Ranson said last week. Among the top ten are also airports in Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam.

The EU border agency Frontex has launched the “Travel to Europe” app, enabling passengers to pre-register for the EES and speed up border queues. The technology is provided by Inverid and iProov.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border security  |  Entrust  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  Eurostar  |  Eurotunnel  |  Getlink  |  IN Groupe  |  Inverid  |  iProov  |  UK