Entry/Exit System regulations
The EU is preparing to introduce its new entry system which will require non-EU citizens to have four fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken. It is likely to have the biggest impact on UK tourists heading to France by ferry, Eurostar or Channel Tunnel.
I would think that this will create huge delays when a ferry full of people arriving in cars lands at a French port. It will take them hours to process one ferry load never mind 2 or more ferries arriving at approximately the same time. As you are not supposed to carrying food with you I can see a lot of people becoming very irate with the delay.
I am not sure if they will allow you to be processed Online, but how do you do that with fingerprints and UK police stations charge to do fingerprints. While it is a good thing in one way, will it apply to everyone entering the EU from foreign countries?
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Google it as the article is in a number of newspapers or read here. https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/entry-exit-system_en
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I've been reading info on this over the last couple of days, more info about EES and ETIAS HERE
ETIAS (E.U. Travel Information and Authorisation System) looks like being in force from 2023, you apply online, it's valid for 3 years, and apparently people under 18 or over 70 won't have to pay the £7 fee, every little helps! More info HERE
As for EES (Entry/Exit System), that's being rolled out from sometime this year, looks like September. Sounds like it won't be much of a problem at airports, but for ferries and the Tunnel it doesn't bode well, with long delays expected.
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One would hope that customs officials would realise the problems of delays, not just for the passengers but also for themselves ( they do have to get home afterwards) and allow these checks to be undertaken by a customs official travelling on the ferry and do them on board. Might be wishful thinking though.
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Many thanks as what not aware of EES until this morning and also not aware of ETIAS either so very helpful information. We were planing to go to France next year when things have settled, but obviously one needs to book this year.
I do not remember reading about either in any CAMC magazine or I overlooked it. Maybe the CAMC will do an article on it in the next magazine as EES is supposed to be implemented in the 1st quarter of 2022.
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I'm still waiting to try out my new Italian passport, hopefully later on this year.
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However the next time you travel you may still be stuck in the queue unless there is a another queue for people that already have had the scans? Initially I think there will be huge delays at the ports even though they state it only takes seconds to do the scans.
The ports they used for the pilot test were Helsinki (FI) | Piraeus (EL) | Cherbourg (FR) | Genoa (IT) and I don't think any of these ports have a multitude of people arriving at once in cars, motorhomes and HGVs.
Each person that is in vehicle needs to be photographed and fingerprints done which means getting out of the vehicle so instead of seconds for someone who is walking we are now looking at two or more minutes per person. However even at 30 seconds per person and if the ferry is only half full with up to 1000 people that is a lot of time to wait to be processed. Many ferries can carry 2000 plus passengers and over 500 cars.
Could be a nightmare, but hope not?
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I don't think it'll be in force in April, AD. Looks like the end of September.
Presumably you went to a country by plane, not ferry though; the point being made about it is that at airports it won't pose a problem, as people present individually; however, at ports with cars, where people will have to get out of the car for photographs and fingerprints, it'll inevitably cause queues. Some cars have 4 people in them, most have at least 2.
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As I understand it there have been quite a lot of high level meetings about the entry exit system and the ports. Eurotunnel are particularly worried because obviously now you pretty much drive straight off & on to the motorway. The new system will need each person in the vehicle to get out of the vehicle to be scanned, and eurotunnel are saying they don't know where the space for this is coming from.
It should be possible to do the scanning/checks on board the longer ferry crossings - I seem to remember many, many years ago having to do some sort of passport check on board. But I dont know if there would be sufficient time on the shorter crossings.
This has been in the making for a number of years, and I thought it was due to come in this July but it sounds from earlier comments that it has been pushed back again.
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Years ago, I can't remember which ferry crossing or between which countries, only the driver was allowed to be in the car when driving through passport control on arrival. All other vehicle occupants had to leave the ferry as foot passengers and go through separate immigration and rejoin their cars afterwards. I could imagine that sort of thing could be introduced to avoid long queues of vehicles.
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Surely the process could be carried out before loading onto a ferry or train, as the existing formalities are?
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