EU travel rules delayed again as biometric system set for phased rollout

The European Union’s planned rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU travellers has been pushed back again, with a staged start slated for Oct. 12, 2025 and full implementation not expected until April 12, 2026. The system is designed to replace manual passport stamping for travellers entering the Schengen Area, including UK passport holders, and to speed border checks at airports and ports. Reports indicate that biometric registration to visit the EU may not be fully enforced for another nine months, and border officials could be allowed to relax the rules if queues or chaos develop during the rollout.

Eurotunnel, Eurostar and the Port of Dover will all open new biometric registration kiosks in the UK on Oct. 12 as part of the phased implementation following previous delays. Under the new timetable, the rules will initially apply to only a small subset of travellers, with full rules taking effect on a wider scale next year. There will also be a 90-day grace period during which the EES can be scaled back if operational problems arise, under the direction of French border authorities.

Under the system, on first entry travellers will provide fingerprints and a facial photo at a border kiosk or booth, and entry/exit dates, locations and biometric data will be stored for three years. The plan is to eliminate the need for manual passport stamping for most non-EU travellers crossing into Schengen Area countries. The changes are not applicable to EU member Ireland or Cyprus.

The Channel crossing remains a focal point of the rollout. Because passengers pass through French border checks in the UK when using the tunnel or sea routes, the EES biometric process must be completed before departure, with any hold-ups on the British side resolved ahead of travel. This has prompted operators to welcome the phased approach, arguing it should reduce disruption as the system comes online.

Eurotunnel and the Dover port will begin with coach passengers and freight from Oct. 12, followed by car checks from November in Dover. Passenger vehicle checks are set to follow in November at Dover and by the end of the year at Eurotunnel. Yann Leriche, CEO of the Eurotunnel operator Getlink, told Reuters there should be no delays because the rollout will be gradual and manageable. “You will not see any delays because it will be a gradual introduction of EES … We are very confident there will be no issue,” he said.

Authorities will also have the option to suspend checks for short periods if processing times become excessively long. If unforeseen issues arise in the field, French border officials can slow the rollout to ensure the system works, with officials aiming for a state where, after about six months, the process is fully manageable.

The EES will apply to Schengen area countries, which include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, but it does not apply to Ireland or Cyprus. The initiative has been repeatedly delayed since its initial planning, with dates shifting from 2022 to May 2023, then late 2023, late 2024, and most recently to Oct. 12, 2025. In July 2025 the European Commission announced the Oct. 12 launch as the new target, with full operation to follow within six months.