Holidaymakers driving from the UK to France faced tailbacks stretching several kilometres outside the Port of Dover on 20 December after the Police aux Frontières’ passport-control system went down for almost four hours. Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal suffered a parallel outage, forcing operators to switch to manual inspection. Although the incident occurred on Saturday, it was reported and analysed on 22 December as officials took stock of the ripple effects heading into the Christmas peak.
Port authorities had forecast a record 30,000 vehicles over the weekend; when the French kiosks failed, that volume quickly overwhelmed access roads. Ferry companies such as P&O re-booked missed sailings, but road-haulage firms transporting just-in-time consignments lost up to six hours and were forced to pause to comply with EU tachograph rules.
The outage renews questions about the robustness of French border technology ahead of the full Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out in 2026. Industry bodies on both sides of the Channel are calling for a joint contingency plan that includes extra staffed booths, mobile IT back-ups and real-time data-sharing between UK Border Force and French Police aux Frontières.
![French Border-Control IT Crash Triggers Multi-Hour Queues at Dover and Eurotunnel]()
At times like these, VisaHQ’s dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) allows both leisure travellers and commercial drivers to check the latest entry rules, submit visa applications online, and arrange expedited courier pickup—providing a crucial safety net when border technology fails.
For businesses, the practical advice is clear: build an additional half-day buffer into itineraries involving Dover or Folkestone until system reliability improves; instruct drivers to carry documentary evidence of delays for insurance and demurrage claims; and remind assignees that biometric capture under EES could further lengthen processing times once the system is fully live.
Corporate mobility teams managing cross-Channel rotas should also verify that travellers hold the correct visas or work permits for any contingency rerouting via Belgian or Dutch seaports. Platforms such as VisaHQ provide real-time French entry rules and can courier emergency travel documents should another outage coincide with upcoming New-Year traffic.
Port authorities had forecast a record 30,000 vehicles over the weekend; when the French kiosks failed, that volume quickly overwhelmed access roads. Ferry companies such as P&O re-booked missed sailings, but road-haulage firms transporting just-in-time consignments lost up to six hours and were forced to pause to comply with EU tachograph rules.
The outage renews questions about the robustness of French border technology ahead of the full Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out in 2026. Industry bodies on both sides of the Channel are calling for a joint contingency plan that includes extra staffed booths, mobile IT back-ups and real-time data-sharing between UK Border Force and French Police aux Frontières.
At times like these, VisaHQ’s dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) allows both leisure travellers and commercial drivers to check the latest entry rules, submit visa applications online, and arrange expedited courier pickup—providing a crucial safety net when border technology fails.
For businesses, the practical advice is clear: build an additional half-day buffer into itineraries involving Dover or Folkestone until system reliability improves; instruct drivers to carry documentary evidence of delays for insurance and demurrage claims; and remind assignees that biometric capture under EES could further lengthen processing times once the system is fully live.
Corporate mobility teams managing cross-Channel rotas should also verify that travellers hold the correct visas or work permits for any contingency rerouting via Belgian or Dutch seaports. Platforms such as VisaHQ provide real-time French entry rules and can courier emergency travel documents should another outage coincide with upcoming New-Year traffic.
