Overview

• From October 12, UK passport holders entering the Schengen area will be enrolled in the EU Entry/Exit System with biometric capture replacing routine passport stamping over time.
• At Dover, Eurotunnel Folkestone and St Pancras International, French border officers may collect these biometrics before departure from the UK, according to official guidance.
• The rollout will be gradual: biometric capture is not required at every frontier post for the first 60 days, with member states required from December to run EES at a minimum of half of crossing points.
• Travel journalist Simon Calder reports that passport stamping will continue during the transition, warning of possible ‘double red tape’ in early 2026, with full operation targeted by April 2026.
• Authorities caution of longer queues as EES starts, note that checks can be scaled back to one in ten travellers if lines build, and advise passengers to meet Schengen passport rules and ensure documents are undamaged with sufficient blank pages.