The Port of Dover confirmed on 9 November that plans to extend the EU’s automated Entry/Exit System (EES) to motorists have been “paused until early 2026” because French border authorities have not yet authorised activation. The biometric regime, which records the arrivals and departures of non-EU nationals, went live for coach, foot and freight traffic on 12 October and was supposed to start for private cars on 1 November.
Chief Executive Doug Bannister said Dover’s kiosks and holding areas are fully installed, but the Franco-British juxtaposed controls mean French officials must give at least two weeks’ notice before the switch-on. Nearly 13,000 traveller profiles have already been created in the pilot phase—30 % of all EES registrations by French seaports.
![Roll-out of EU Entry/Exit System for car passengers at Dover delayed until 2026 pending French green light]()
Under the new system drivers and passengers will have to leave vehicles, scan passports and—once the biometric layer is enforced—submit fingerprints and face images before proceeding to the French manual booth. Early simulations suggest processing times could initially be up to six times longer than today’s passport stamp, raising concerns for cross-Channel supply chains and ski-season traffic.
The delay gives ferry operators, Eurotunnel shuttle services and corporate travel managers an extra window to refine passenger-flow strategies and communication plans. Full EES enforcement across all French border points is still scheduled for 10 April 2026; until then France can temporarily disable biometric capture during peak surges.
Companies moving staff between the UK and continental Europe should warn travellers to monitor carrier updates, allow extra buffer time and ensure passports have at least three months’ validity—the minimum remaining validity that EES kiosks will require once live. Employers collecting travel-history data for tax or social-security exposure will eventually gain more accurate timestamps thanks to the digital exit records.
Chief Executive Doug Bannister said Dover’s kiosks and holding areas are fully installed, but the Franco-British juxtaposed controls mean French officials must give at least two weeks’ notice before the switch-on. Nearly 13,000 traveller profiles have already been created in the pilot phase—30 % of all EES registrations by French seaports.
Under the new system drivers and passengers will have to leave vehicles, scan passports and—once the biometric layer is enforced—submit fingerprints and face images before proceeding to the French manual booth. Early simulations suggest processing times could initially be up to six times longer than today’s passport stamp, raising concerns for cross-Channel supply chains and ski-season traffic.
The delay gives ferry operators, Eurotunnel shuttle services and corporate travel managers an extra window to refine passenger-flow strategies and communication plans. Full EES enforcement across all French border points is still scheduled for 10 April 2026; until then France can temporarily disable biometric capture during peak surges.
Companies moving staff between the UK and continental Europe should warn travellers to monitor carrier updates, allow extra buffer time and ensure passports have at least three months’ validity—the minimum remaining validity that EES kiosks will require once live. Employers collecting travel-history data for tax or social-security exposure will eventually gain more accurate timestamps thanks to the digital exit records.
