Electronic authorisation required for EU travel from 2025

[Cossie]

My nephew, his family and some friends went through Rome last week without any problems. So maybe it's just Germany, who knows.
A few years ago I flew into Frankfurt and landed just after a couple of full flights from the prc. It was a long slow process that time as well.

 

[MARTINE]

Landed in CPH - less than 5mins with border force agent who said smile for the camera and took electronic finger prints (4 fingers right hand). No actual booth

 

[SYD]

My nephew, his family and some friends went through Rome last week without any problems. So maybe it's just Germany, who knows.
A few years ago I flew into Frankfurt and landed just after a couple of full flights from the prc. It was a long slow process that time as well.

The irony is, when we booked I dismissed a FRA connection (I hate connecting at FRA) but in hindsight, it would have been T3 to T3 and over 4hrs transit. We originally wanted an option via MUC as the AY onward flight is an A350 but was only offering PE not J, so settled for MXP (which I’ve never flown in/out of). When we read that Italy had suspended EES processing we were relieved but as mentioned above, apparently it’s only if the lines stretch beyond 45 mins.

I had seen it was pushed back to Q4 (European Union - EES / ETIAS).

Did nothing, no issues when arriving into WAW earlier this summer. My AU-passport carrying young one arrived via different EU transit and also had no issues.

AFAIK, that’s the fee part (ETIAS) - which starts later. But the biometrics capturing has already started (EES).

So first entry into the EU/Schengen zone, foreigners need to be fingerprinted, photo etc. As mentioned upthread, there are self-service kiosks to do the biometrics as a once off. Those machines have been problematic in some ports and / or PAX not “match fit”…

No issues in ZRH the other day, used the self service scan and then manually processed, only issue was the folk who didn’t do self serve lining up in the same line

So what happened to those peeps who didn’t use a kiosk? Sent back or manual processed anyway?

 

[I love to travel]

My arrival into CDG like Puska. No issues anywhere else was registered in Budapest took 2 mins albeit at 12am. On departure from Amsterdam could use self service so 1 minute. It really is luck what you get. My luck ran out in BKK.

 

[markis10]

So what happened to those peeps who didn’t use a kiosk? Sent back or manual processed anyway?

Manually processed

 

[drron]

We have a 2hr20 minute transit in MXP in September on our way to BCN. I am now hoping for a wheelchair line to make things easier.

 

[SYD]

We have a 2hr20 minute transit in MXP in September on our way to BCN. I am now hoping for a wheelchair line to make things easier.

What time are you arriving? We’re passing thru in mid August, arriving at 08:00am with the same connection time. Although, in reality, that’s closer to 2hrs assuming the onward flight closes about 15 mins prior to departure.

Unless we change flights, I’ll report back.

 

[Telemachus]

A few data points to throw into the mix, derived from a month-long UK/Europe trip from which I returned a few days ago.

Frankfurt: Arrived at T1 from SIN early eve in final week of May. Did my first EES registration at a kiosk (ppt scan, photo, fingerprints) then queued for about 10 mins to see an agent at a booth, ppt stamped. Dep to LHR mid-morning next day which was a few days after opening of new T3: e-gates operating for EU only so all non-EU ppt holders were directed into a slow-moving queue of 100s of people: it took 1.25 hrs for me to reach the front and be processed by an agent at a booth, with ppt stamped again.

Caen/Ouistreham (ferry port): Arrived on ferry from Portsmouth first week of June, foot pax processed at two staffed booths but took barely 10 mins with photo, fingerprints done by the French border agent. Agent could see in the system that I’d used a UK ppt at FRA but was now entering France on my AU ppt (which he did not stamp).

Milan: Flew CDG-MXP so no EES (intra-Schengen) in mid-June. Departed MXP-SIN earlier this week, afternoon flight. Airport very busy so anticipated significant EES delay but no wait for a kiosk and multiple e-gates were in operation for holders of EU and third country e-passports, so the queue was moving quickly. Immediately after going through the e-gate there was a staffed booth where the agent stamped my AU ppt without really looking at it.

As others have noted, there are inconsistencies and inefficiencies in how the system has been implemented and (not surprisingly) queues can be long or short depending on time of day. FRA seems consistently poor, though. I’m puzzled by outbound delays being longer than inbound, given that all non-EU outbound pax will have done EES registration on first arrival into an EU/EEA country. And all the blurb about EES continues to say it’s replacing stamps in passports despite the stamps actually continuing at some ports.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just reading on Facebook about arrivals into Helsinki… reporting 1.5 hours coming off the SIN-HEL flight, and 2 hours coming off the LHR flight.

Those were from two months ago, so the system may have been suspended during summer.

But that gives an indication of ‘normal’ processing times there. So at least another country or two asides from Germany

 

[MARTINE]

Landed in CPH - less than 5mins with border force agent who said smile for the camera and took electronic finger prints (4 fingers right hand). No actual booth

Adding last month daughter did same trip and it was four fingers left hand. I suppose variety keeps their job interesting !!

 

[drron]

What time are you arriving? We’re passing thru in mid August, arriving at 08:00am with the same connection time. Although, in reality, that’s closer to 2hrs assuming the onward flight closes about 15 mins prior to departure.

Unless we change flights, I’ll report back.

We go through at~ 2145. We are on ITA.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I have entered and left the EU through France via CDG twice so far this year.
All entries and exits were through the Number 1 priority gates.

24 February / 8 March - No issue on entry, on exit the officer attempted to take my biometrics but the equipment didn't cooperate and she waved me through with a short conversation about her frustration with the system.
22 May / 8 June - biometrics succesfully taken on arrival, quick routine face scan as officer examined and stamped my passport on departure.

During each trip I left France but stayed within the EU.
On the first trip I left CDG once and flew to Spain (MAD & LPA).
No biometrics.
On the second trip I left CDG twice, once to BCN and once to VIE.
No biometrics.

It's worth mentioning that both France and Spain check passports (or other identity documents) even for intra-Schengen flights.
This is because both countries have laws against traveling on a ticket in another person's name.
Austria, on the other hand, did not require a passport or any other form of ID.

 

[cwd]

I queued for about an hour a few weeks ago departing HEL for a non-schengen flight. Despite what the HEL website says, no egates on departure for Australians or any non-schengen residents. The immigration officers were asking everyone for details of their stays (where I'd been, the purpose). Quite a contrast to arriving in VIE a week earlier, doing fingerprints and a photo at the booth and not being asked anything about my stay (And no queue).

 

[SYD]

I queued for about an hour a few weeks ago departing HEL for a non-schengen flight. Despite what the HEL website says, no egates on departure for Australians or any non-schengen residents. The immigration officers were asking everyone for details of their stays (where I'd been, the purpose).

That's weird for departing.

Did you get a stamp in arriving at VIE? Maybe that's another teething problem that they can't tell how long you've been in the zone?...

 

[cwd]

That's weird for departing.

Did you get a stamp in arriving at VIE? Maybe that's another teething problem that they can't tell how long you've been in the zone?...

Yeah I've never had to explain myself when departing before. I figured they had no record of details and so wanted to know, as the Finnish border guards always seem to want specific details.

No stamps in either direction, but I got the impression he knew when I'd arrived in the area. He asked me a few times if I was there for business (which I wasn't), and how the weather was in the area I'd been. All slightly odd, but I think everyone was being similarly grilled, judging from how long it was taking to process the queue.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That's weird for departing.

Did you get a stamp in arriving at VIE? Maybe that's another teething problem that they can't tell how long you've been in the zone?...

Leaving Prague they knew how long I’d been there just by swiping the passport. The officer in FRA on arrival forgot to stamp my passport, but the Czech officer should see I’d entered three days prior.