EU fingerprint checks for British travellers to start in 2024

A new EU digital border system that will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use is expected to launch next autumn, according to reports.

The entry/exit system (EES) is earmarked to start on 6 October 2024, according to the i and Times newspapers, citing Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel. The Guardian has contacted Getlink for comment.

Eurotunnel, which runs a car transport service between Folkestone and Calais, is said to be testing the technology, in which personal data will be collected at borders and entered into an EU-wide database.

Under the EES, passengers would have to agree to fingerprinting and facial image capture the first time they arrived on the continent. After that, the data, including any record of refused entry, should allow quicker processing, according to travel bosses.

The original planned rollout, which had been scheduled for this year, was delayed amid fears it could disrupt travel to next summer’s Olympics in Paris.

The system is expected to cause significant delays. The Port of Dover has previously estimated the additional requirements were likely to add up to 10 minutes for a family of five in a vehicle on their first trip after the EES is introduced, compared with about 45-90 seconds.