Inside the EU's New Fingerprint Border: What the EES Kiosks Are Really Like

Years in the planning, and years in the postponement: the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) finally arrived. From 12 October 2025, most non-EU citizens started having to register their biometric information at the border — faces photographed and fingerprints scanned — before being allowed into the Schengen area.

That carries a particular sting for Britons on a short cross-Channel hop, where the official French border sits on British soil. Aside from queueing at a London terminal or by the white cliffs of Dover to hand over biometric data, train, tunnel and sea passengers uniquely have to complete EES formalities before the journey to Europe even begins. Hopes of registering in advance via an app had not materialised, so the whole process had to take place at each airport, crossing or port.

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What the kiosks involve

The affected operators — Eurostar, Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover — had to redraw their processes and invest millions in computer kiosks and staff. At Dover and Eurotunnel, passengers need to park and get out of their cars (except in exceptional circumstances, such as disability, where officers can use a tablet). Eurotunnel's owner Getlink was the first to declare an €80m investment in border technology for its Le Shuttle service, unveiling bespoke EES lanes, gantries and booths at Folkestone able to process around 2,000 people an hour at peak times.

For Le Shuttle, vehicles are directed into lanes depending on the nationality of the driver and passengers. Non-EU citizens who need to comply with EES are routed onto a new loop, where number plates are scanned automatically and drivers are sent to an allocated kiosk. All passengers get out of the car and use the kiosk's touchscreen to show their passport, confirm their immigration status, be photographed and — for those over 12 — scan their fingerprints. When reporters tried Eurotunnel's kiosks, the screen time alone took just under two minutes per person; on later trips within three years, the process is shorter, using facial recognition rather than prints.

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A phased rollout and the questions that remain

Given the history of border uncertainty, operators leaned heavily on a phased introduction — confirmed by the EU as lasting six, or even nine, months — before all passengers would have to be registered, with a further period during which checks can be scaled back if chaos occurs. Until January, Eurostar planned simply to invite regular travellers to register, while Eurotunnel and Dover started with coach passengers and freight, adding cars from November. Eurostar's footprint at St Pancras was comparatively small, with dozens of kiosks spread across two rooms and an overflow zone for busy periods.

How long the full process takes in real life — with potentially stressed, encumbered passengers setting off on holiday — remained to be seen. Operators promised extra staff to help travellers navigate the screens, and border officials were given discretion to suspend EES if queues built up. For travellers heading between Britain and the continent, understanding the steps in advance helps; our guide to UK travel and the new EU border sets out what to expect.