Electronic authorisation required for EU travel from 2025

[muppet]

Were they using eGates for pre-registered folk?

I can’t be certain but I don’t think so. All non-EU went to the kiosks and then we went through eGates after doing the questions, photo and finger prints.

 

[SYD]

I can’t be certain but I don’t think so. All non-EU went to the kiosks and then we went through eGates after doing the questions, photo and finger prints.

So if I’ve pre-registered (photo / finger prints) somewhere else prior, I should be able to go direct to the eGates.

We’re entering (hopefully) via MXP but then heading to the UK and back to the EU also via AGP.

 

[Pushka]

Decided to bid for upgrade on TAP from Lisbon tomorrow. Cheap bid and successful. Hopefully reduces some of the angst.

 

[clifford]

just arrived in BRU from HKG - only EU/EEA/CH via EES, everyone else manually processed, including transfers (most EES kiosks closed/off) - almost 2h queue, bad enough that water and Biscoff biscuits were handed out:

I guess I made the right call then.

My transfer at AMS from TK to BA (instead of using BRU) was seam free, and I was in the One World lounge within 20 minutes of exiting the arriving aircraft.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess I made the right call then.

My transfer at AMS from TK to BA (instead of using BRU) was seam free, and I was in the One World lounge within 20 minutes of exiting the arriving aircraft.

But wouldn’t that be exempt from any sort of passport control? Non-schengen to non-schengen?

 

[RooFlyer]

So if I’ve pre-registered (photo / finger prints) somewhere else prior, I should be able to go direct to the eGates.

You should, but its possible (?likely) that e-Gates will not be available and everyone will be directed to manual. Why? Say there was a sign 'e-Gates for people who have registered for EES'. Result? "What's registration?" "I'm registered - I think." "I dunno - I'll give it a go ..." & clog up e-gates. So while its still a shemozzle, my recent experience is that e-Gates unavailable and all manual processing, to some degree.

 

[qaz]

just arrived in BRU from HKG - only EU/EEA/CH via EES, everyone else manually processed, including transfers (most EES kiosks closed/off) - almost 2h queue, bad enough that water and Biscoff biscuits were handed out:
View attachment 512963

i guess that it could’ve been worse:

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left BRU (for OSL) - queuing for and security screening itself took ~30min - clear plastic bags provided at pre-screening for all liquids, gels, medication, including skincare/makeup:

 

[AuSammy]

left BRU (for OSL) - queuing for and security screening itself took ~30min - clear plastic bags provided at pre-screening for all liquids, gels, medication, including skincare/makeup:
View attachment 513316

Seems like wishing for some consistency in screening rules is harder to achieve than solving world hunger.

 

[markis10]

FWIW no issues outbound at ZRH this week, customs officers seem to have a lovely sense of humor, unlike the airport cafe that sells everything at odd amounts but won’t take coins, think a bottle of 300ml water cost me $12 on card, welcome to Switzerland

 

[Bofter]

We had four passages through EES over June and July, as a family travelling with a 5 year old:

- Helsinki entry, queue about 45 mins, seemed to be a function of where your flight arrives in the morning arrivals bank (fortunately ours was middle in the set, as the queue got longer after us). An increasing amount of reliance on calling people out from the queue for connections that were <60 mins of departure. But our onwards flight still held about 20 mins for a big cluster of people held up crossing the border.
- Montpellier exit, small airport, < 5 minute queue, although did seem to build a little later on closer the departure time
- Frankfurt entry, < 5 minute queue, clearly used system but also stamped passport
- Frankfurt exit, < 5 minute queue for us (only time crossing EES getting special treatment with young child) but probably ~ 10 minutes general. Completed the other part of the stamping (out to match the in, as per the old method).

At all times the (de facto) EES checker (European Union - EES / ETIAS) seemed to indicate successful registrations into the central system.

I am not saying to not plan for possible disastrously long border crossings, but I am glad we were fortunate to avoid any.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

FWIW no issues outbound at ZRH this week, customs officers seem to have a lovely sense of humor, unlike the airport cafe that sells everything at odd amounts but won’t take coins, think a bottle of 300ml water cost me $12 on card, welcome to Switzerland

The Swiss do love to maximise profit while minimising effort.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Decided to bid for upgrade on TAP from Lisbon tomorrow. Cheap bid and successful. Hopefully reduces some of the angst.

Was your upgrade bid successful @Pushka ?
We paid ~€100 for Porto to Amsterdam - never doing LIS again - once was enough!

 

[Pushka]

Was your upgrade bid successful @Pushka ?
We paid ~€100 for Porto to Amsterdam - never doing LIS again - once was enough!

Yes. We were upgraded for the minimum bid. Nice. The plane was a 2x2 anyway but we did get some food of sorts.

So the process. EES was operating. Kind of. Thank god there were very few people. Basically deserted. So insert passport. Try have photo taken. Mine failed three times. Off to manual processing with Police. MrP was successful with both photo and fingerprints. Off to egates. There were no egates. So he's off to manual processing too but in a different place to me. I rock up to manual processing. Police were completely disinterested in me. Waved me through still no fingerprints taken nor photo. MrP - police kept questioning - why don't you have an EES, you are a foreigner in Europe. Where are your details. He was made to do photo and fingerprints again. So I was through and waiting for him having no idea where he was yet he'd been cleared at the start. I don't know...

 

[qaz]

left BRU (for OSL) - queuing for and security screening itself took ~30min - clear plastic bags provided at pre-screening for all liquids, gels, medication, including skincare/makeup:
View attachment 513316

just did CPH > BRU > HKG

BRU queue for and passport control itself took 30min - fortunately, and perhaps not unexpectedly, leaving Schengen was easier/quicker than entering

 

[I love to travel]

just did CPH > BRU > HKG

BRU queue for and passport control itself took 30min - fortunately, and perhaps not unexpectedly, leaving Schengen was easier/quicker than entering

Time of day?

 

[qaz]

Time of day?

BRU Schengen passport/border control - manual processing:

• exit: CPH > BRU (> HKG) arrival 09:40 Saturday - 30mins
• entry: HKG > BRU arrival 08:25 Tuesday - 2hrs

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Apparently ETIAS delayed until 2027 as they can’t get EES working.

I don’t see how they’ll ever fix it for the numbers of tourists? Unless they double border staff.

These wait times as a pain. And as passengers we pay good money for border processing.

 

[clifford]

I don’t see how they’ll ever fix it

Yes indeed. The root cause is that they let each member state (all 29 of them) do their own thing. How can this be reconciled in the short to medium term?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes indeed. The root cause is that they let each member state (all 29 of them) do their own thing. How can this be reconciled in the short to medium term?

It’s not so much each state doing their own thing… but the sheer volume of pax, and the way they’re processing it.

In their minds everyone would just register once every three years, and subsequent entries would be automated.

But that doesn’t take account of the millions of single, new, one-off tourists arriving each year. That will never change. Many won’t be coming back within three years. So border officials will constantly be processing new entries every year.

They need a system like Indonesia where you just cruise through.

 

[clifford]

They need a system like Indonesia where you just cruise through.

Yes, we can't argue with that (apart from the $50 a pop fee), but truly the main problem currently with the EES is the fact that each country has implemented its own version (as directed by the useless EU). So it works to some degree in some countries, while others have just given up.

If it was working as advertised by the EU, there wouldn't be such a problem. First timers would register with their fingerprints and photo at the kiosk or booth, and then sail through the e-gate. On subsequent exits and entries, they would just use the e-gate.

We wish.

And why use Indonesia as an example of how to do it well? Surely Singapore (and even Malaysia) is much better, not to mention the UK.