Overview

• From 12 October, non‑EU nationals must enroll biometrics to enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps, with pre‑registration by app largely unavailable.
• The EU has approved a staged introduction with a six‑month onboarding period and a further 90‑day buffer, and border officers may temporarily suspend data capture if queues build.
• UK departure hubs have reconfigured facilities: Eurotunnel’s Getlink invested €80m with capacity claims of 2,000 people per hour, Dover spent £17m on new layouts, and Eurostar installed 49 kiosks at St Pancras.
• Rollout differs by operator: Eurostar starts on 12 October with Premier and Carte Blanche customers, fingerprinting begins mid‑December and broader enrollment follows by January, while Eurotunnel and Dover begin with coaches and freight before cars from November.
• Travellers must answer four questions on accommodation, return ticket, sufficient funds and insurance, with a negative response prompting an interview that can lead to refusal of entry.