EU EES Experiences

[Jdsk]

FRONTEX: "Travel to Europe" app:
https://www.frontex.europa.eu/what-we-d ... urope-app/

Which? says "to Sweden and Portugal":
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/uk ... ign=travel

Jonathan

[PT1029]

" A modern phone can also scan the biometrics in a passport "..... Not if you have a quad lock phone mount on the back of your phone (my didn't scan my passport data, this was for Companies House to confirm my ID as a company director).
The phone kept say scanning data/losing data.

[Tiberius]

...but the system is asking for fingerprints on exit. Obviously you are already registered as you did this on the way in.

They might say registering fingerprints is a one off, but they didn't tell the machines. My exit failed on fingerprints. Photo was OK.

There is an EES app, but only for use for Sweden* and partly for Portugal. No idea what it does.

And there we have it, some countries are quite literally making this up as they go along. Fingerprinting on exit from the EU was never part of how the EES was intended to operate. Over the last three months I have exited three EU airports and not once have I been fingerprinted.

By coincidence, just this morning the travel expert bod Simon Calder was on TV discussing the EES. Now four months ago, pre the introduction of the EES, Calder was initially quite chipper telling us how simple the whole thing was. Register once and you’re done for three years - He’s now less chipper. His take now is that there are 29 countries using the EES and each country is using one of 29 PROTOTYPE variations of the EES. Additionally, there is barely any integration across the whole system.It’s impossible to prepare for as each country is using a different system which may/may not be being used on your day of travel.

Re the app. I tried it for my flight to Faro in late April. I was able to answer the standard EES question and take a ’selfie’. The system then produced a QR code which I was to show to someone, or something, on arrival at Faro. On arrival at Faro they had dumped the EES therefore this was a waste of time. I know of someone who did the same for Sweden with an identicle outcome.

I stand by my belief that (in the fullness of time) the app is the way to go. Answer questions, selfie, finger prints, passport biometrics all uploaded to the EES and then it’s simply scan your passport at the eGates (in and out). All this tech' is alive and kicking - Maybe I just expect too much?

Finally. I’m biting my tongue big time re any reference to the EU. But I know a dog’s dinner when I see one.

[st599_uk]

It was never designed to be one solution, so Calder obviously hadn't read the documentation.

The website always had a data model for sending and retrieving data from the central database and a bunch of minimum specifications for the terminals. It never envisaged the same equipment at borders, that's up to individual countries.

[teamonster]

I'm not sure how the EES app would benefit anything.

It was the taking or checking of fingerprints that was a problem.

Registering (at home) on the app would mean that you were pre-registered before entered the EU - No queueing at the EES machines. Just scan your passport at the ePassport Gates and you're off. Doddle.

Finger print recognition was introduced on iPhones in 2013. It's as tried and trusted as anything can be these days. A modern phone can also scan the biometrics in a passport - Pictures and finger prints data.

I’ve used the app for entry into Sweden, tbh it didn’t speed up the process, as instead just taking picture and fingerprints, the border guard insisted on going through the answers to all the questions on the app, rather than just taking a quick look at the passport. That's the Swedes though, they tend to do things “properly” unlike a recent trip to Greece where things were slightly more laid back

[teamonster]

I'm not sure how the EES app would benefit anything.

It was the taking or checking of fingerprints that was a problem.

Registering (at home) on the app would mean that you were pre-registered before entered the EU - No queueing at the EES machines. Just scan your passport at the ePassport Gates and you're off. Doddle.

Finger print recognition was introduced on iPhones in 2013. It's as tried and trusted as anything can be these days. A modern phone can also scan the biometrics in a passport - Pictures and finger prints data.

I’ve used the app for entry into Sweden, tbh it didn’t speed up the process, as instead just taking picture and fingerprints, the border guard insisted on going through the answers to all the questions on the app, rather than just taking a quick look at the passport. That's the Swedes though, they tend to do things “properly” unlike a recent trip to Greece where things were slightly more laid back

Should have said at Stockholm Arlanda they weren‘t usimg kiosks. Prints and photos done by border guards

[Euro-Paul]

Arrive in Heraklion, Crete, on Tues night (non cycling hol) - border person took my passport, asked me where I was from (!), then waved me through - no stamp, no biometrics.... same with my wife who had arrived there 2 weeks ago......there was a line of powered-up but roped-off EES scanners at the side of the queues. As suggested above, Greece appears to have abandoned ship on this, at least for now, and at least for holidaying Brits.

[Mtb tourer]

With any luck passports will be redundant, No stamps in Europe any more an id card, fingerprint recognition and a scan would save printing little booklets . Will it go worldwide?

[Mtb tourer]

An id card ,fingerprint and facial scan ? Europe doesn't do stamps any more. . Wonder when it's going to go worldwide? Would save carrying paper when travelling.

[FatLad1980]

Other checks- police on trains at border crossings on the way back through Italy to Austria and Austria to Germany yesterday.

I thought those days were over? Were they checking passports?

[MrsHJ]

Not mine or anyone around me. I would describe it as an increased presence.

[Ginge_126]

Just an update, a friend and I went over to HvH on the overnight ferry on 06/08/26.

EES took about an hour to get through. Once you're in they're quick to process you so it just depends on the party size.