Boarder control fingerprints

[LoisPrice]

Just got off the boat in Caen, France 🇫🇷
Im British and passport same - no finger prints, no biometrics. Passport checked as normal and on my way.

so why are airport security causing such a fuss and people missing flights but boarder control at other places haven’t anything set up?

madness

@drivinmecrazy This article suggests that the EES has been up and running at Murcia for a while.

https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/10/30/murcia-airport-reports-smooth-start-with-new-eu-entry-system/

From the photo in the article, it looks like there are booths for you to do the fingerprints and photos.

I’d still allow extra time on the way out, as I suspect you may well have to submit the info again.

Thank-you, very reassuring. 🤞 it’ll be plain sailing tomorrow !

You are supposed to do it once and then it’s done for 3 years… BUT my husband has done it 4 times now. I’ve done it once. Not all airports are running seperate queues for those who have and haven’t done it. Not all airports have the machines operational (which is infuriating when you are staring at them from a queue). and especially so if you know you’ve already done it. And airports can, if they wish, bypass the queues if it gets too busy.
I queued out of Lisbon last week for 2 hours. And then the checks were suspended. They left about a quarter of our flight behind after waiting an extra half an hour. A friend flew out of Faro at almost the same time and was through in 20 mins including the checks.

it’s total luck of the draw. Allow time. Obviously on the way in you are just stuck in the queue as quickly as it moves. Return flight - allow time.
If you have Instagram @holidayexperthas a great reel on the whole thing. Simply explained.

Yeah we were a lucky one. Landed in Hungary, straight to passport control as no queue, had fingerprints taken and we were through in about 5 minutes. All was super smooth. I don’t genuinely understand what the issues have been.

The technology developed for the ports and trains by France is let’s say glitchy so hasn’t been rolled out yet. According to Simon Calder it’s roll out this summer is far from guaranteed

So what happens if you have hold luggage. Presumably that will be on the plane already. Do they have to take it off if you are still queuing and don’t make the flight?
Not sure how it works tbh.

It wasn’t anywhere to be seen at Caen.

what happens though if you come in by one place that doesn’t have the system operating and you leave by another that does? Or visa versa? I didn’t get my passport stamped

Found this video, it was when they first started bringing it in. Seems to prove what I always expected. There's nobody actually checking stamps in passports. Some border guards made a big show of flipping through page after page (I travel for work and pleasure c. 6-10 times a year so there are a lot) and looking up, raising eyebrows but I always thought "look buddy... are you really counting all these?"

I guess for the question op, they either aren't or they're registering that you're entering and exiting but just not with your biometrics for now.

So without a stamp in my passport, they have no idea how long I have been in the Schengen area, that’s the whole point of moving to digital as passports can be changed and you can get extra time as a new passport doesn’t have stamps

Yeah, the point I took from the video was also, seriously, which border guard counts?

I think they probably do a cursory check that there is an entry and exit stamp but not all guards have put them on the same page in mine. I genuinely don't think any guard has really been checking since they came in. Certainly not when you have more than a few stamps. It would be impossible.

On our flight they took the bags off..

When I went to Hungary all the UK flights landed and took off around the same time, hence massive queues. There were also other non-EU flights in the same hour. It was just bad planning, but everyone made it.

@CountrySnail Anyone who misses their flight has their luggage taken off. It is a known security risk.

I thought that but wouldn’t it be easier just to get the passenger through the gate, if they are there queuing, rather than faff around finding the luggage?

It would save a lot of time and money all around. 🤷‍♀️