EU Delays New Digital Border System

10th October 2024

Last modified on May 13th, 2025

It was to have been introduced on November 10th and would have affected skiers and snowboarders heading to the mountains this winter.

There were concerns of huge border delays, but once again it has been postponed, to the short-term relief of winter travellers and the UK ski industry.

The European Union has announced it is delaying the fingerprint and facial scan check system for non-EU citizens at any EU border.

It has been pushed back yet again after Germany, France and the Netherlands said the system would not currently work.

It is reported there has been no live testing of the EU’s software on the UK’s border systems.

The EU Home Affairs Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, said there was no timetable for its implementation, but it would be phased in.

“It’s clear that we’re not going to be ready for the 10 November,” added Ms Johansson.

“We will be going for a phased approach, step by step.”

Quite what this means in practise for skiers and snowboarders this coming winter remains to be seen.

Here at PlanetSKI we have reported on the planned introduction and how it might affect UK skiers and the wider industry:

And the concerns from the major EU nations that would likely lead to a further postponement:

Start of new EU border rules for next winter in doubt

The Entry/Exit System, EES, means non-EU citizens, including those from the UK following Brexit, will need to register biometric data at the EU border, rather than getting their passport stamped.

The EES will apply to road borders, airports, ports, train stations – including Eurostar services – and at all other external EU borders.

The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meets later this month to discuss the next stage in the rollout of EES.

The German interior ministry told the Reuters news agency that Germany, France and the Netherlands were not ready to introduce EES as the EU agency in charge of it, EU-Lisa, had not yet made it stable enough.

The French interior ministry told Reuters EES must be prepared properly.