EES Reader Questions Answered: Passports, Biometrics and eGates for UK Travellers

From 12 October, the EU begins rolling out its Entry/Exit System (EES), and for British travellers it adds an extra layer of bureaucracy at the Schengen frontier. For at least the first six months, until 9 April 2026, passports will still be inspected and stamped as before, while travellers also register their biometrics. Here are answers to the questions that come up most often.

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Passports, stamps and biometrics

Will passports still be stamped? Yes. For the phased period up to 9 April 2026, your passport will continue to be inspected and stamped just as it is now. After that, manual stamping is not part of the plan and is likely to stop.

Fingerprints or a photo — or both? On your first registration, expect both fingerprints and a facial image to be taken. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. On later visits it will usually be one or the other, and facial biometrics are likely to become the standard, quicker option.

What is stored, and for how long? Registration captures your passport data, fingerprints and facial image. Your biometrics are kept for three years after your most recent entry or exit, and you will provide a facial biometric at each crossing.

eGates, transit and dual nationality

Are the kiosks the same as eGates? No. The EES kiosks you may have seen at EU airports are only there to let you register; they are not eGates. Each country decides whether British and other non-EU passport holders can use its eGates — Rome Fiumicino already allows it, but others may not. Crucially, a human inspection and stamping of UK passports remains mandatory up to 9 April 2026.

Do I register when transiting? Generally only if you actually cross into the Schengen area. Amsterdam is an outlier that applies EU passport-validity rules even to transit passengers, so check your passport meets the under-10-years and three-months-remaining rules.

Which passport should dual citizens use? If you hold an Irish passport, use it every time — it gives unfettered access to both the UK and the EU. With other EU passports, register the European document when leaving and the British one when coming back.

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Small territories and mixed-passport couples

Visits to Andorra mean being checked out of France or Spain on the way in and back in on the way out, and Gibraltar is set to become part of the Schengen area from a UK traveller's point of view. For couples where one partner holds an EU passport, the EU citizen can skip the EES process, while the British partner must register — but will usually be allowed through the faster queue alongside them.

If you are unsure how the new checks affect your own trip, our answers to common ETIAS and EES questions are a good place to start.