Overview

• Non‑EU short‑stay visitors, including UK passport holders, must register on first entry by giving fingerprints and a facial image, creating a digital record retained for three years, and refusal can lead to denied entry.
• Passport stamping continues during the phase‑in, with full switch to EES by April 10, 2026, when manual stamps end across participating borders.
• Officials warn the new process may add a few minutes per traveler, as UK hubs at Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras deploy kiosks with targeted government funding to manage early bottlenecks.
• EES checks occur on arrival by air and at UK juxtaposed controls before departure for Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Dover ferries, using self‑service kiosks or staffed terminals for initial registration.
• Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting, many cruise itineraries starting and ending outside Schengen are generally exempt, Ireland and Cyprus are outside the scheme, and a separate ETIAS authorisation is planned for late 2026 with a fee of about €20/£17.