Ski Transfer Company Prepares for New EU Entry/Exit System

The European Union is set to introduce the new Entry/Exit System on November 10th 2024.

It will impact how non-EU passports holders travel to most EU and Schengen countries.

The ski countries outside the EU but in Schengen include Switzerland and Norway.

We have already posted about it on PlanetSKI with full details about how it is planned to work if you drive or take the train to the Alps and Pyrenees:

“Passengers should be prepared for potentially longer queues at Passport Control,” said Ben’s Bus.

Geneva airport. Image © PlanetSKI

Here is the full post from Ben’s Bus that we have been asked to share, and of course it affects all of us whether you are a Ben’s Bus customer or not:

What is the EES?

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is a system for digitally registering travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries when they first cross an EU external border. It is being introduced to allow stricter controls of movement into the Schengen area.

As reported in this BBC article and quoting EU Commissioner Johansson, the rules will mean “we will know if people stay too long” and “will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports“.

How will the EES affect me?

If you hold an EU passport, you won’t be affected.

If not, the first time you enter the EU, you will be asked to register your biometric data (such as fingerprints and/or a photo).

This will be done in special EES kiosks when you arrive.

Authorities are anticipating it will take an extra one minute to process each passenger.

Although most airports have invested in extra staff and technology, you will probably experience longer queue times when you arrive at your airport.

You should consider this when selecting a bus time on the Bens Bus website.

Your data will be held for 3 years.

EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports, so it should be a quicker, smoother process the next time you enter the EU.

What can I do to prepare for this?

You do not need to apply for the EES and there is not much you can do in advance.

As reported in this Europe Street News article, Frontex, the EU border agency, may develop a mobile app where travellers could pre-register some of their details.

However, this would not replace the need to register biometric data at the physical border.

As mentioned above, you should consider the potential for longer queues at Passport Control.

You should select a later Ben’s Bus if you think the time of our first bus listed, once you enter your flight details, is too tight for you.

It is obviously impossible for us to say how long you should allow, as this would depend on many factors.

Such factors could include:

• Where you are sitting on the plane
• How many people are in your group
• How many bags you have to pick up
• How busy the airport is
• Whether you’ve already travelled to the EU and registered your biometric data

You can read about how Ben’s Bus manage late-arriving customers here.

We recommend upgrading to Ben’s Bus Plus in case you need to edit your booking.

For instance you may decide, after booking, that you actually want to take a later bus.

You get free changes with Ben’s Bus Plus.

We would also advise checking your own governments’ website for precise information and advice.

For the UK, this can be found here.

Another scheme the EU is planning on implementing in the first half of 2025 is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

This will take the form of a paid-for travel authorisation, which will be required for citizens of non-EU countries that do not need a visa to enter the EU.

Update:

One of our reader has posted this comment on the PlanetSKI Facebook page which may be of interest to a wider audience:

Richard Miller: But what happens if you fly to Geneva and then travel to France, where will the ESS kiosks be?