EU Biometric Checks Delayed Again: EES Pushed Back to November 2024

The introduction of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) was delayed yet again in July 2024, with the start of biometric checks pushed back from 6 October until at least 10 November. The postponement allayed fears of long queues at the border during the October half-term holidays, when many families travel.

The European Commission had not confirmed a new firm date at the time, but some ports and airports were briefed to expect a later start, with a "last resort" date of 17 November reported. Many smaller airports still did not have the necessary facilities in place.

Photo by Harm Jakob Tolsma on Pexels

Why the system was postponed

Under the EES, non-EU citizens — including Britons after Brexit — must register their biometric information, including fingerprints and facial scans, at the border under the supervision of an EU officer on their first visit. The move was the latest in a series of delays for a system long pushed back from its planned 2021 start, with France having insisted the additional border controls should not be introduced before the Paris Olympics.

European airports, whose late-summer season risked running into the October deadline, had urged a further postponement. The European airports trade body ACI Europe had called on the Commission to reconsider the October date, warning it would mean extra work to prepare facilities and staff while the industry was still at full stretch in peak season. Reports suggested EES would not be rigorously enforced for everyone at first, with a soft introduction and discretion to wave travellers through to avoid disruption.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels

Pressure points and what came next

Particular concern centred on cross-Channel routes, where French and EU border checks are physically located in England before passengers board ferries or trains. Eurostar had invested millions in revamping St Pancras with pre-check-in areas and kiosks to register most biometric data, which French border police would then verify; the operator said this would add only seconds to queues. Getlink, the operator of Le Shuttle through the Channel Tunnel, had spent around €78m on new facilities and expected EES to add six to seven minutes to process a carful of passengers. The Port of Dover, with limited space and frequent coach traffic, was especially concerned about the potential for long queues.

Once the EES biometric system was up and running, the EU planned to introduce a further requirement, ETIAS, similar to the US ESTA. That meant post-Brexit British travellers would also need to register online and pay a €7 fee to cross the Channel or fly into the EU. For a plain-language summary of how both systems fit together, our overview of EES and ETIAS explains the essentials.