With the Easter Holiday almost upon us, the implementation of new EU biometric border checks at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel has faced another setback due to ongoing technical issues with French technology.
Originally scheduled for a full rollout on 10 April, the Entry/Exit System (EES) requires non-EU passengers to provide photos and fingerprints to enter the Schengen Area. Both LeShuttle and Port of Dover officials confirmed that biometric registration will remain on hold until the systems are thoroughly tested and resolved.
While the EES aims to bolster security and replace manual passport stamping, the delay means travellers will continue using a transitional process for the foreseeable future. Passengers arriving at Kent terminals will still need to provide additional information and answer border questions to register in the system, though they will bypass the biometric requirements for now.
Despite the delays at the ferry port and tunnel, the EU still plans to implement full biometric checks at its airports starting 10 April.