Overview

• Eurostar, Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover have installed new kiosks and will stage the rollout, starting with limited passenger groups before expanding through winter to full operation by 12 April 2026.
• At London St Pancras, 49 Eurostar kiosks will register non‑EU travellers, initially inviting business and frequent passengers, with standard‑class use widening in January and fingerprint capture ramping up from December.
• Eurostar kiosks will ask four Schengen‑code questions on accommodation, return travel, funds and insurance, with a ‘no’ triggering referral to a French officer who could refuse entry if requirements are not met.
• The European Commission says medical insurance is not an EU‑wide requirement, while French Police aux Frontières apply their national practice at UK terminals; Eurostar says its wording will refer to travel insurance.
• Eurotunnel/Getlink expects about two minutes per person at Folkestone and Calais using 224 kiosks, while Eurostar advises allowing roughly 10 extra minutes at St Pancras, with contingency ‘fire breaks’ to manage queues.