Europe EES queue?

[SYD]

Re-entered the Schengen zone today via AGP. About 15mins from plane to baggage claim.

Unfortunately, arriving on a UK flight, hardly anyone was using the EU line.

The rest of us were required to line up for the kiosks. Having registered previously the kiosks said to go to the eGates. I suspect, but can’t be sure if I could have just done that?

It was a bit of a zoo at the eGates but it moved ok. We just had a photo check while others were finger printed.

 

[Forg]

Something of a segue from the thread topic ... but if the entire system hadn't been down & they hadn't had to resort to taking a 'photo of everyone and their passport, would we have had to go through a different process to prior (pre-2018) trips when arriving in Zurich (no connecting flight) from Hong Kong mid-June, like this fingerprinty stuff?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Something of a segue from the thread topic ... but if the entire system hadn't been down & they hadn't had to resort to taking a 'photo of everyone and their passport, would we have had to go through a different process to prior (pre-2018) trips when arriving in Zurich (no connecting flight) from Hong Kong mid-June, like this fingerprinty stuff?

Prior to EES you just turned up and maybe had to answer a question or two, or maybe not.

 

[Forg]

So is this difference for non-EU people arriving from within the EU?
Or non-Shengen people arriving in a Shengen-zone place from within the Shengen zone?
Or non-EU people arriving in a Shegen-zone place from inside the EU but outside the Shengen zone?
Or ... ?

The system being down means our arrival in Zurich from Hong Kong was unusual by any standards, so I'm just wondering what ESS would mean for me in future trips to Those Parts Of The World (I've never had fingerprints taken for example but have used electronic camera gates with my AU passport in Hong Kong and Heathrow airports now - can't remember whether customs getting on/off Eurostar in July were electronic/camera but think they were).

 

[SYD]

So is this difference for non-EU people arriving from within the EU?
Or non-Shengen people arriving in a Shengen-zone place from within the Shengen zone?
Or non-EU people arriving in a Shegen-zone place from inside the EU but outside the Shengen zone?
Or ... ?

The system being down means our arrival in Zurich from Hong Kong was unusual by any standards, so I'm just wondering what ESS would mean for me in future trips to Those Parts Of The World (I've never had fingerprints taken for example but have used electronic camera gates with my AU passport in Hong Kong and Heathrow airports now - can't remember whether customs getting on/off Eurostar in July were electronic/camera but think they were).

Within the Schengen zone, it’s basically the same as interstate Oz (regardless of flying train, bus, car or walking).

 

[Beer_budget]

Within the Schengen zone, it’s basically the same as interstate Oz (regardless of flying train, bus, car or walking).

Except on border crossings into Germany (at least by train) where they apparently sometimes board and check passports/ID. My Swiss Air Rail booking had a warning about delays for this reason, though our actual train was not checked.

 

[Cossie]

Except on border crossings into Germany (at least by train) where they apparently sometimes board and check passports/ID. My Swiss Air Rail booking had a warning about delays for this reason, though our actual train was not checked.

Last year I went to a wolrd rally championship round based in Passau, Germany. We were requested by the tour leaders to have our passports or identity documents with us as the rally ran in Germany, Austria and the Czech Rep and it maybe required to stop and show them. We didn't have to though.

 

[Forg]

It was recommended to us that we make sure our passports were in easy reach on the train from Switzerland to France & the one from France to Belgium, in June. Never needed by us, but apparently checks do occur.