Travellers going through the Port of Dover or the Eurostar effectively enter France on British soil, with French officials conducting border checks. Photo / Getty Images
British holidaymakers travelling to France will face tougher border checks than anywhere else in the EU.
From Sunday, travellers will face four-hour delays under new rules that require them to undergo face and fingerprint scans to enter EU countries.
While the introduction of the new entry and exit service (EES) is being staggered across the EU, France has imposed extra checks on people entering from Britain via sea and rail that are not being enforced by other countries.
Officials at the Port of Dover are preparing for queues and have made contingency plans to tackle excessive traffic across Kent as a result.
Ports have the right to suspend the checks if they cause significant backlogs, but it is unclear whether France would permit the UK to do so in the event of travel chaos.
Holidaymakers have been warned to expect extensive delays.
Julia Lo-Bue Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, told The Telegraph: “We’re generally saying give yourself between three to four hours.
“Don’t book anything where you’re expecting to sail through border control at the other end without any kind of problems. Better to be prepared, better to give yourself time than miss the main event.
“If you’ve booked something specific – like you’ve got a concert, a wedding, or you’ve booked transfer flights – they typically won’t wait two or three hours for you, there’s a minimum time.
“People need to understand that they may be delayed, and also, just make sure they’re priming those [waiting] at the other end that there is a potential delay.”
The EES forms part of a border control scheme intended to track movement across the EU and crack down on people overstaying their visas.
The new system was due to be introduced in November last year, but was pushed back to this month after port bosses warned they were not ready for it.
Under the scheme, travellers entering the EU must submit to a facial scan at a passport e-gate and fingerprint readers at border kiosks, as well as answer a series of questions about their visit. The checks are then valid for three years.
However, only a minority of ports and airports will go live with EES on Sunday, as some EU countries are more enthusiastic than others about the new checks.
Passport stamps can be used until April 2026, at which point only digital checks will be allowed for entry unless the EU permits countries to further delay implementing the system.
Just one Spanish airport – Madrid – is imposing the checks on passengers aboard a single flight arriving in the country on Sunday morning. Similarly, in Germany only Dusseldorf airport will have the system live for all arrivals, The Independent reported.
France has insisted that almost all passengers passing through sea and rail ports connecting with Britain will be subjected to the new system.
Travellers going through the Port of Dover or the Eurostar effectively enter France on British soil, and French officials will conduct border checks before leaving the UK.
As well as the biometric checks, British travellers will be asked four questions – whether they have somewhere to stay, whether they have a return ticket, if they have medical insurance, and if they have sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay.
Eurostar travellers will have to answer the four French questions on electronic kiosks installed at London St Pancras before boarding high-speed trains to the Continent. Those saying no to any of the automated kiosk questions will be referred to a border guard for further questioning.
Port of Dover bosses have urged the Government to formally request that a questionnaire for British passengers is temporarily paused to avoid further delays.
Paul Biles, a project coordinator at the Port of Dover, told The Telegraph: “We have asked for the additional questions to be removed, because those questions can be asked at the border anyway.
“Whether border guards do is their prerogative. We believe they’re not required here and add a little bit of time to the process.
He added: “If you say no [to one of the questions], our presumption is that it may prompt the border guard to ask more questions. We’ve asked the Home Office to work to get them removed. Hopefully, in the very near future, they will be.
Port of Dover coach passengers will be subjected to EES checks starting from 5pm on Sunday, a time that The Telegraph understands has been selected to ensure minimal disruption if the system suffers a glitch.
ACI Europe, a trade association for EU airport operators, warned that travellers faced “uncertainty” and said there were questions to be answered “about how the system will perform when all the [EU] member states” use it. “Thus far, only partial tests have been done,” the organisation said.
Ports do have the option to disable the EES checks for up to six hours if border control authorities agree, in the event of significant queues building up. However, France has not said whether it would permit the suspension of the new checks at Dover.
French sources insisted the new system was not targeted at Britain but was an initiative meant to better control the EU’s borders.
The system would apply to all non-EU and non-Schengen zone nationals, said EU sources.
Mark Tanzer, the chief executive of the Association of British Travel Agents, said: “Looking at the short term, given the scale of the operation, there may be some delays, particularly at peak travel times.
“But countries will be stepping up their processes gradually and have the option to stand down the system to avoid significant and lengthy waiting times. We ask that countries remain vigilant and use this contingency measure where needed.”
Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said: “We recognise that EES checks will be a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible.
“The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration.”
Keir Mather, the Transport Minister, said: “We’ve backed our ports and operators with £10.5 million ($24.5m) to help them get ready for the EU’s new entry/exit system, ensuring they have the infrastructure and systems in place to manage the changes.
“Our priority is to minimise disruption for travellers and hauliers, particularly at our busiest border crossings. We’ll continue working closely with European partners and local resilience forums to keep traffic flowing and journeys smooth.”
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