A very bad EES update

Any one want to bet ETIAS happens this year?

Problem will go away once the jet fuel runs low and trans-Atlantic flights dwindle.?

I wonder if the problem is with the equipment at the airport or the system being overwhelmed now that 'everyone' is trying to use it?

I don’t doubt there are issues, but this particular article was written by a company that is using this situation to solicit business. It is not an objective or impartial source.

As a generalization , without putting anyone to sleep , .there are myriad examples of new concepts in all aspects of the human condition that are rough edged at inception , but smooth out with time , experience , and improvement . As a singular example, consider the state of medical technology today as opposed to a mere one hundred years ago .Aspects of medical science that were only a distant dream then .

..., .there are myriad examples of new concepts in all aspects of the human condition that are rough edged at inception , but smooth out with time , experience , and improvement . As a singular example, consider the state of medical technology today as opposed to a mere one hundred years ago...

So are you saying in 100 years it will be working smoothly? Is that supposed to be comforting?.

Just an analogy. Hopefully, they will have this figured out by late September , when we leave for Europe ;-) .

One data point-

Arrived today - April 15 - to CDG on Delta from Seattle. Terminal 2E, M gate(need the tram to the main 2E).

Plane touched down at 13:07.

I was channeled thru the EES process. There was no one in the arrivals hall except our plane. I walked right up to an open terminal, put on my passport, answered 4 or 5 questions, did fingerprint scan (which took about 5 times cuz I’m old) then got in line for an agent. Only 2 working our lines. For some people she was having to do a photo and prints for others not. She was having to wait on the computer each time which seemed to be the hold up. I guess it was taking time to sync the info I’d put in 50 feet away with what she was seeing. Waited about 10 minutes there in line. Probably total time from entering the Sky Priority lanes at the back of the room, walking the empty zigzag lanes, the EES kiosk, waiting and seeing an agent it was probably 20 minutes.

I was in the cab at 1355 and at my hotel at 1500 on the dot.

I think this process will depend on the # of flights arriving at the same time.

So Pam you had 'sky priority' and could use a priority line? I am coming in tomorrow and have sky priority and wondered if it did give access to the priority line at immigration..

Hope we can connect while we are all in Paris.

Yes, Sky Priority. They looked at my boarding pass on my phone.

I think it depends on how many planes at the same time like others said. I was there last Saturday and even with security rummaging through a friend's bag we got through both areas in about 20 minutes.

It was so empty that sky priority would not have made any difference.

I came in this morning April 16 to Terminal E -- there was a clearly marked sky priority line . They also did not do EES -- just the same old electronic gate followed by passport stamp used before. It took us about 45 minutes from touchdown to being in a cab.

The usual thieves pretending to be official on the way to the cab line 'Are you two persons' while waving clipboard -- a naive travel could easily be misled. The official cab line is incredibly efficient. There was virtually no wait. Lots of walking from gate to tram to baggage claim but the cab line had no line and plenty of cabs and an efficient dispatcher.

Interesting, basically (original update above) it's an ad disguised as 'information'. huh.

For some people she was having to do a photo and prints for others
not. She was having to wait on the computer each time which seemed to
be the hold up. I guess it was taking time to sync the info I’d put in
50 feet away with what she was seeing.

That's hilarious Pam, who knows?! Glad you've made it to Paris!! Sounds like the system is up and running and you got away quickly, a process you won't have to repeat!

BTW, landing in CPH on April 2nd, they'd taken down all the EES machines and reverted to good ole' EU / non-EU immigration lines. When I asked where EES had gone, official shrugged and said it was 'coming soon'. (It was there December 19, 2025 when I was waved through with my permanent residency card.)

We’re Americans who plan to travel to France in mid-July. So my question is: why would France initiate a new electronic entry / exit system now when the EU is still attempting to start their new ETIAS system in the last quarter of 2026? That makes no sense to me. Am I missing something?

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias/about-etias/news-corner/Key-differences-ETIAS-and-EES

Why?

Both systems aim to strengthen European security and security of those who travel.

ETIAS is a new entry requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. These include the 29 countries belonging to the Schengen Area as well as Cyprus. With ETIAS, visa-free travellers will need to apply for a travel authorisation before starting their trip. ETIAS is not a visa, and its introduction does not modify the visa-free status of travellers.

The EES will register visa-free and visa-required travellers entering Europe for a short stay. No action will be required from travellers before they start their trip, as registration will be done at the external border of any of the 29 European countries using the system. The countries in question include the 29 Schengen countries. Registration on the EES will be done every time travellers cross external borders and will replace the manual stamping of passports.

Good to know that the entire process went so smoothly on April 15 upon arriving at 13:07.

It is encouraging. I will arrive on 27 May before noon from SFO. if that is supposed to account for any difference. It's all fine if getting through the passport control process takes , say 15 minutes or even 50 minutes before heading off to locate the RER B platform. I already have that RER B ticket.

“It's all fine if getting through the passport control process takes , say 15 minutes or even 50”.

I think it’s solely dependent on how many other flights are arriving. I included times as my impression is there may be more of a crowd earlier in the AM when a bunch of East Coast USA flights arrive.

Flew Icelandair from Seattle to Paris CDG yesterday (stopover in Keflavik). EES kiosks were not operating in Keflavik, but nobody was in line at passport control and an agent handled our EES photo and fingerprinting in about one minute, each. That was our first EES registration. Surprisingly to us, when we arrived Paris we walked directly out of the terminal to taxi stand with no additional security screening or passport control, I guess because we had already cleared EU passport control in Keflavik.

I guess because we had already cleared EU passport control in Keflavik.

Correct, you only go through immigration at your first entry to the Schengen area. Iceland, while not part of the EU, is a member of the Schengen agreement.

How long it takes depends on many variables....airport, time of day, number of flights, etc.

As I stated in another thread, I arrived in Vienna last night. The whole EES process took about 45 seconds. There was literally no one ahead of me. No machines visible but six booths were manned.

The airline made an annoucement warning that due to EES, immigration lines might be longer than usual and that there was nothing the airline could do.

Arrived this morning at CDG at 6:15 am. Long long lines, divided by your citizenship as we all waited to have our pictures made and our passports scanned. The machines are there and installed, ready to help if they could just be turned on and used. Once we made it through the first mazes the lines moved quickly and we were done, lines and all, in about 30 minutes.

Seeing the long lines doesn't bother me. I am willing to wait as long as the scanner works when it's my turn.

What I find a nuisance is the scanner not working, defective, when I get to it, and after trying a few times, ie, still clearly not working as it is supposed to. Then being directed to a 2nd scanner, that still might not worked, had that happen once upon arrival...just bad luck.