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4h ago

EU Biometric Border Rollout Strains Travel as France Drops Kiosk Questions at UK Departure Hubs

Early deployment is producing long queues with inconsistent checks during the six-month transition.

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British passengers were stuck in queues of more than two hours at Geneva Airport on Saturday as the EU's new Exit/ Entry System checks kicked in (Photos: Paul Moston)

Overview

  • French officials have removed on‑screen Schengen questions at St Pancras, Dover and Eurotunnel for the initial six months, shifting most queries to targeted manual checks.
  • The Entry/Exit System began on 12 October and requires most non‑EU short‑stay travellers to register facial images and fingerprints, with passport stamping due to end by April 2026.
  • Passengers reported waits of two to four hours at Geneva, Tenerife South, Brussels, Lisbon and Prague, with bottlenecks worsened by limited kiosk availability and slow processing.
  • Geneva operated only 10 of 17 kiosks and asked entrants about trip purpose and daily funds, while reports from Tenerife cited just three of 10 machines working and routine referrals to officers.
  • National setups vary: Czech kiosks ask about accommodation, return tickets, means of payment with a €66 daily funds threshold, and travel insurance, and France had initially included an insurance question now withdrawn at UK sites.