TheLocal.fr reported on 4 April that Eurotunnel and Eurostar remain "not ready" for the full roll-out of EES scheduled for 10 April. Both operators continue to rely on border police stamping passports manually, while software updates for their biometric kiosks lag behind laboratory testing. Eurotunnel sources say land-border modelling did not adequately account for families in vehicles, whose sequential fingerprinting could triple dwell time.
![Eurotunnel and Eurostar scramble as France misses another EES milestone]()
For travellers who want to avoid last-minute surprises, VisaHQ can shoulder much of the paperwork. The firm’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets individuals or corporate mobility managers check visa requirements, order supporting invitation letters and track application status in real time, giving teams an extra buffer while border technology catches up.
Eurostar, meanwhile, has installed 18 kiosks at Paris Gare du Nord but cannot activate them until UK-side IT systems synchronise with the French database housed at Lille. Business travellers face an uneven landscape: some French airports already require biometrics, yet land travellers will be exempt—at least temporarily. Companies rotating staff via both modes must therefore reconcile two sets of entry data and adjust travel calendars accordingly. Eurostar is adding extra French border-force desks and advising passengers to arrive 90 minutes before departure over Easter. Mobility teams should alert assignees to potential last-minute platform changes and ensure that any corporate visas or A1 certificates are on hand, as manual inspections remain stringent.
For travellers who want to avoid last-minute surprises, VisaHQ can shoulder much of the paperwork. The firm’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) lets individuals or corporate mobility managers check visa requirements, order supporting invitation letters and track application status in real time, giving teams an extra buffer while border technology catches up.
Eurostar, meanwhile, has installed 18 kiosks at Paris Gare du Nord but cannot activate them until UK-side IT systems synchronise with the French database housed at Lille. Business travellers face an uneven landscape: some French airports already require biometrics, yet land travellers will be exempt—at least temporarily. Companies rotating staff via both modes must therefore reconcile two sets of entry data and adjust travel calendars accordingly. Eurostar is adding extra French border-force desks and advising passengers to arrive 90 minutes before departure over Easter. Mobility teams should alert assignees to potential last-minute platform changes and ensure that any corporate visas or A1 certificates are on hand, as manual inspections remain stringent.
