The European Union's Entry-Exit System (EES), which was meant to be fully operational weeks ago, is showing signs of unravelling as some Schengen area nations drop biometric requirements for British travellers. The digital border scheme, designed to replace passport stamping, has seen inconsistent implementation across member states.
Greece has indefinitely suspended biometric checks for UK visitors, while other countries continue to use wet stamping or collect only basic passport details. The European Commission insists the system is effective, citing over 44.5 million entries and exits registered since 12 October 2025, with 24,000 refusals of entry including 600 security threats.
At UK juxtaposed controls in Folkestone, Dover, and St Pancras, biometric kiosks remain idle due to connectivity issues on the French side. During the late May bank holiday, French police at Dover reverted to manual passport stamping after queues reached five hours, easing congestion.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias), the so-called 'euro visa', is unlikely to be operational before the end of the year despite repeated pledges. British travellers are still required to register four fingerprints and a facial biometric on first EES encounter, but many report being asked for both on multiple occasions.
