Just days before the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is meant to become fully operational on 10 April, French authorities have confirmed that travellers on Eurostar, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle and cross-Channel ferries will not be asked to provide fingerprints or facial images—because the hardware is still not in place at the juxtaposed controls on UK soil. Operators will instead create digital files using passport data only, postponing the most time-consuming part of the new border regime. The decision was taken after port operators and rail companies warned of queues of up to four hours during the Easter peak if untested kiosks were rushed into service. Under the phased EU roll-out that began in October 2025, member states had six months to install biometric capture at all external Schengen borders; France is set to miss that deadline.
![Biometric Entry/Exit checks postponed again at UK–France crossings]()
To navigate these shifting requirements, travellers and corporate mobility teams can consult VisaHQ’s dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/), which aggregates up-to-the-minute border guidance, visa options and document check services—making it easier to stay compliant before the biometric phase finally kicks in.
For business travellers the reprieve means no immediate change in pre-trip preparation—no additional forms, photos or earlier check-in times—but mobility teams should keep contingency plans in place. Industry bodies note that once biometrics do go live, the throughput of car lanes at Dover and Folkestone could drop by 30 % unless staff numbers increase. Air-passengers transiting Paris-CDG or Lyon have already experienced sporadic EES queues as airports test equipment overnight. Long-term residents of France with valid cartes de séjour remain exempt from overstayer alerts but may still be caught in slower lines. Companies are advised to brief staff to carry proof of residence and to monitor operator websites daily; Eurostar and P&O Ferries have pledged to issue 48-hour updates once the biometric phase finally begins.
To navigate these shifting requirements, travellers and corporate mobility teams can consult VisaHQ’s dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/), which aggregates up-to-the-minute border guidance, visa options and document check services—making it easier to stay compliant before the biometric phase finally kicks in.
For business travellers the reprieve means no immediate change in pre-trip preparation—no additional forms, photos or earlier check-in times—but mobility teams should keep contingency plans in place. Industry bodies note that once biometrics do go live, the throughput of car lanes at Dover and Folkestone could drop by 30 % unless staff numbers increase. Air-passengers transiting Paris-CDG or Lyon have already experienced sporadic EES queues as airports test equipment overnight. Long-term residents of France with valid cartes de séjour remain exempt from overstayer alerts but may still be caught in slower lines. Companies are advised to brief staff to carry proof of residence and to monitor operator websites daily; Eurostar and P&O Ferries have pledged to issue 48-hour updates once the biometric phase finally begins.
