Eurotunnel and Eurostar Report Technical Delays Ahead of EES Rollout

Eurotunnel and Eurostar have reported ongoing technical delays in implementing the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) at French borders, just days before the planned full rollout on April 10, 2026www.connexionfrance.comwww.my-french-house.comwww.thetimes.com. Equipment and IT issues in France have hindered progress more than 150 days into the phased launch, raising doubts about meeting the deadline and prompting warnings of longer queues for passengers.

Eurotunnel's parent company Getlink stated that while kiosks for coach passengers and lorry drivers have operated smoothly since October 12, 2025, full implementation awaits approval from French authorities. Eurostar continues manual registrations by border officers at stations like St Pancras, with additional lanes added for French border force checks; the operator is coordinating with EU and French officials on kiosk software updates. Investments in self-service kiosks at Dover, Folkestone, and St Pancras total £3.5 million to ease the transition, though initial slowdowns are expected.

The EES requires non-EU travelers to register passport details, facial scans, and fingerprints in a central database for faster future crossings, but early challenges like those at Geneva and Lisbon airports—where queues reached four hours—have led to a phased approach now extended to September in some areas. French borders were targeted for 50% EES operation by January 9 and full coverage by March 10, yet technical hurdles persist, advising travelers to arrive earlier.