Once operational, the EES will require travellers from non-EU countries to register their fingerprints and facial biometrics at the border, have their travel history recorded digitally, no longer receive physical stamps in their passport and returning travellers will not need to repeat biometric registration for three years, unless they obtain a new passport.
New date set for introduction of 'visas' and fingerprint scans for Brits to enter EU A new start date has been set for the introduction of 'visas' for British travellers entering the European Union (EU).
When finally live, it will replace manual passport stamping with a digital registration process, requiring non-EU travellers, including British travellers, to provide fingerprints and facial recognition data when crossing the Schengen Area.
The Port of Dover is currently expanding its infrastructure, including additional registration areas, in an attempt to handle any long queues or bottlenecks, as passengers will need to exit their vehicles for biometric registration.
The EES was initially due to be implemented on November 10, 2024, however technical challenges and concerns from member states about its impact on border congestion, forced the implementation date to be pushed back.
