The launch of the EU's biometric Entry/Exit System was pushed back once more in mid-2024, moving from October to at least November and easing fears of long queues during the autumn half-term. Here is what was behind the delay.
As the EU prepared to switch on its Entry/Exit System, Eurostar, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel raced to install biometric kiosks and extra booths. Here is how cross-Channel travel braced for face scans and fingerprint checks.
Ryanair and other travel-industry voices have warned that the EU's plan to launch its Entry/Exit System at every frontier on a single day is risky and untested. Brussels insists there will be no soft launch when the biometric border system arrives in autumn 2024.
The EU's facial-scan Entry/Exit System was expected in late 2024, with one UK report pointing to a 6 October start. Here is what the system involves, who it applies to and how it links to ETIAS.
The EU plans to digitise its external border with biometric checks and a pre-travel fee for visa-free visitors. Here is how the EES and ETIAS work, what they cost and why they have drawn both support and criticism.