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EU Entry/Exit System

From November 2024, the EU plans to introduce a new digital border check called the Entry/Exit system (EES). It will affect you if you're a British national travelling to a country in the Schengen area, which includes France.

What is changing

If you're travelling to one of the 29 countries that make up the Schengen area using a British passport, you will need to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints or a photo, when you arrive. This will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when you enter an EU country.

Travelling to France

As the French border sits within the Port of Dover and the Le Shuttle terminal in Folkestone, you'll need to register on this side of the channel and there may be increased wait times before you leave the UK. If you need to travel by car, make sure you’re prepared for every single journey and check before you travel.

If you are travelling by ferry or train to France, you should check with your travel operator to find out whether EES will affect your journey.

Minimising the impact on Kent's roads

We're a member of the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF), a partnership made up of:

  • city, district and borough councils
  • the emergency services
  • central government agencies
  • a range of other organisations.

We work closely together to identify the risks of significant events on our communities and plan to minimise their effects. This includes the potential impact of EES on Kent’s roads.

Find out more about the KMRF on the Kent and Medway Prepared website.

More information

For more information on EES, visit GOV.UK or the EU’s official travel Europe website.