France's Interior Ministry announced on March 11, 2026, that the country will miss the European Union's April 10 deadline for full deployment of the Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border-control platform using fingerprint and facial-image kiosks to replace passport stamping.www.visahq.com Repeated software crashes during stress tests at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, Orly, and UK juxtaposed terminals in Dover and London St Pancras have forced the postponement, with officials citing last-minute EU encryption protocol changes and shortages of trained technicians.

The government is negotiating a phased introduction with Brussels, prioritizing air and sea passengers while delaying land borders until after the Euro 2026 football championship to avoid summer travel chaos. Aéroports de Paris (ADP), managing CDG and Orly, has urged suspending the rollout over peak June-August periods due to understaffing and unresolved tech issues, with trials already showing difficulties despite low volumes.www.euronews.com To mitigate queues, the ministry plans to deploy 120 pre-registration devices (PRDs) for biometric capture before passport control, starting trials with Air France next week.

Travel advisors recommend corporate travelers arrive 45 minutes early for outbound flights post-April 10, carry printed itineraries for Schengen compliance, and use the upcoming "France-Borders" app for biometric storage. While short-term disruptions loom, 2025 Spanish trials suggest smooth EES operation could cut processing times by 30%, potentially benefiting cross-border business travel once glitches are resolved. A full nationwide switchover now appears unlikely before September or October.www.visahq.com