French border police at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport quietly switched on a new setting in their PARAFE (Passage Automatisé Rapide aux Frontières Extérieures) smart-gate system on 22 May. For the first time since the post-Brexit rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), holders of British and American passports—whether residents of France or short-term visitors—were invited to use the facial-recognition e-gates that until now were reserved for EU/EEA travellers. Airport management told local newspaper The Connexion that the move aims to “de-saturate manual booths during the summer surge” while the full EES self-service kiosks remain delayed. Travellers insert their passport into the PARAFE reader; the gate captures a live image, checks it against the chip and the Schengen “overstay” database, and—if everything matches—opens in about 15 seconds. The change is being piloted on flights from London, New York and other high-volume Anglo-Saxon markets.
![Nice Côte d’Azur Airport extends PARAFE e-gate use to UK and US citizens]()
If you need help navigating Schengen documentation, VisaHQ offers an easy online service that tracks the latest entry requirements and can prepare any necessary paperwork before you fly—see https://www.visahq.com/france/ for details.
Border guards still retain discretion to redirect passengers to staffed booths and, for now, the e-gates are switched to “Tous Passeports” only when peak UK/US arrivals land. Bordeaux airport has confirmed it is exploring an identical procedure, while Aéroports de Paris says it will review outcomes before deciding on Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly. For mobility managers the implications are immediate: corporate travellers from the UK and US can shave 15-30 minutes off arrival and departure, but they should manage expectations—PARAFE availability can change without notice and the system does not yet collect fingerprints that will become mandatory once EES kiosks are online. Employers should still advise staff to allow generous connection times and to carry proof of previous Schengen entries to avoid accidental “overstay” flags.
If you need help navigating Schengen documentation, VisaHQ offers an easy online service that tracks the latest entry requirements and can prepare any necessary paperwork before you fly—see https://www.visahq.com/france/ for details.
Border guards still retain discretion to redirect passengers to staffed booths and, for now, the e-gates are switched to “Tous Passeports” only when peak UK/US arrivals land. Bordeaux airport has confirmed it is exploring an identical procedure, while Aéroports de Paris says it will review outcomes before deciding on Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly. For mobility managers the implications are immediate: corporate travellers from the UK and US can shave 15-30 minutes off arrival and departure, but they should manage expectations—PARAFE availability can change without notice and the system does not yet collect fingerprints that will become mandatory once EES kiosks are online. Employers should still advise staff to allow generous connection times and to carry proof of previous Schengen entries to avoid accidental “overstay” flags.
