Overview

• Non‑EU short‑stay visitors will register fingerprints and a facial image at Schengen borders, replacing passport stamping, with records typically kept for three years and children under 12 exempt from fingerprinting.
• Rollout begins 12 October at limited border points before widening through early 2026, with a built‑in option to scale back checks temporarily to manage queues and full operation targeted by April 2026.
• Eurostar will phase sign‑ups at London St Pancras, starting with premium customers from 12 October and extending to standard passengers from 12 January, using 49 new kiosks and aiming for full flow by April.
• French Police aux Frontières will pose four questions at Eurostar kiosks on accommodation, return travel, funds and insurance, with a ‘no’ response leading to a referral to a border officer; Eurostar says the prompt will refer to travel insurance after an initial translation error.
• Operators expect initial processing to add a few minutes per traveller, with Eurostar advising longer check‑in at St Pancras and Eurotunnel forecasting minimal impact after investing in kiosks, staffing and staged vehicle processing.