If you were worried about delays clearing passport controls in Europe this spring, it's time to move on to the next worry on your list.
The EU announced that the EES border system - which includes taking biometric data from non-EU visitors - will be delayed once again from its planned start date of May 2023.
The new system, which will require non-EU travellers to register and have biometric data including fingerprints taken at the border, was already pushed back from 2022.
It now won't be ready until the end of 2023.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12207 posts
Was not aware, until now, that the EU had two programs in development, for non-EU residents to conform to to enter the EU zone; EES and ETIAS are different, but alike in that both are behind schedule. If anyone else was as uninformed as I was, here are links to some info about these programs
Posted by
Freedonia
16708 posts
ETIAS is basically an application to travel in Schengen/EU for those fron non- Schengen visa waived countries. It 8s preclearance.
EES is what you will deal with on arrival. It's supposedvtobtake the place of the people stamping your passport
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16849 posts
Was aware of ETIAS but not EES. That sounds like a bunch of fun.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10807 posts
As a French citizen arriving in France, I’ve used the biometric passport in the kiosk for several years, except when the booths were closed due to Covid. It’s much faster. Since those of you visiting will already have your ETIAS clearance, this should be fast for you, too. It’s a bit like Global Entry but with a booth you step into instead of machines out in the open. And, obviously you’ll have to put your fingertips on a scanner, too.
Posted by
OP
Boston
1820 posts
Yes, the delays if any should be minimal once it's implemented as I understand it. The new EES system will have non-visa citizens such as Americans and Canadians register online, enter data, and pay a small fee before departure*. Since almost all travelers now have biometric passports already, everything should go as smoothly as your hotel reservation that time in.......
- Fair is fair, Europeans and other non-visa countries have had to register and pay to enter the US for years.