Overview

• Non‑EU travellers, including UK passport holders, will have fingerprints and a facial photo taken on first EES encounter, creating a record valid for three years as passport stamping continues during the transition to full operation by April 10, 2026.
• EES checks at juxtaposed UK sites will be done before departure, with Dover and Eurotunnel starting on October 12 for freight and coaches, car passengers following in November at Dover and by year‑end at Eurotunnel, and authorities able to pause checks to manage queues.
• Eurotunnel says disruption should be minimal after an €80m upgrade that includes 224 kiosks at Folkestone, demonstrations showing most users finish in about two minutes, and Eurostar’s £11m build‑out of 49 kiosks at St Pancras.
• Estonia has confirmed full readiness to operate EES at all air, sea and road frontiers from day one, while other Schengen states will activate the system gradually, with Luxembourg also cited as fully ready in limited form.
• Airlines including easyJet warn of longer waits during rollout, and Co‑op Insurance research reports 29% of UK adults say EES could deter EU trips and 60% are unaware of the change, prompting advice to allow extra time and check entry points.