Almost a year after EES began its rollout, British travellers are still encountering markedly different border procedures depending on where they enter Europe.
The EES was designed to create a common digital system across the Schengen area’s external borders, replacing manual passport stamping with the electronic registration of non-EU travellers’ passport details, facial images and fingerprints. The system was intended to be fully operational last month, but travellers are still facing inconsistent border experiences rather than a single, uniform process.
A breakdown from Holiday Extras, the UK’s market leader in travel extras including airport parking, airport lounges and hotels, highlights five different border experiences currently facing British travellers:
1. The system as designed
Under the EES, eligible non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area are supposed to have their details registered digitally, including biometric information such as a facial image and fingerprints. The system is intended to operate consistently across the participating countries.
2. The system as experienced at some of Europe’s busiest borders
Nine participating countries – France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Malta – have reportedly sought additional flexibility over the implementation of biometric checks, citing operational and technical difficulties and concerns about passenger queues.
For British travellers using major European airports and ports, this means the experience can differ depending on where they arrive.
3. The countries outside the system
Ireland and Cyprus do not participate in the Schengen area in the same way as the other participating countries and do not operate EES at their external borders.
For British travellers, this creates a fundamentally different border experience from arriving elsewhere in Europe.
4. National differences within the wider system
Greece has also indicated that it is not currently collecting biometric data from UK travellers as part of EES. The UK Government’s travel advice tells British travellers to follow instructions from Greek authorities on the ground.
5. The UK-France border
The UK’s juxtaposed border arrangements at Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras create another variation.
At these crossings, EES checks take place before travellers leave the UK. However, technical and infrastructure problems have delayed the full implementation of biometric registration, with travellers having been manually processed while the systems were brought online.
The result is a system that may be common in design, but can feel very different depending on the route a British traveller takes.
Reflecting on the border differences, Matthew Pack, Group CEO at Holiday Extras said: “The system has failed, costing EU destinations billions in UK holiday spending, and as a result, Brits are avoiding booking European holidays. What was meant to simplify has caused more confusion for travellers.
“This has created uncertainty at exactly the point in a journey when they want clarity. The question now is not whether digital borders are the future – it is whether Europe can deliver a genuinely consistent system that travellers understand and can rely on.”
