EES when arriving by boat?

[DennisF]

Now that the EES is in force, is there any official information on what will happen to people arriving in a Schengen country by yacht? My understanding is that most maritime border staff will not have access to the EES system and will still be stamping passports, but as a trip to France may be a possibility this Summer I thought I should seek information. I can’t find anything of help on the official sites so far.

 

[lektran]

I imagine anywhere that receives ferries will be set up and ready to go. We checked out of Rhodes in Greece back in December and they were trying (and failing) to use the new system.

 

[lustyd]

The ports have ipads to take biometric data and will process as many as they can and skip some to move queues. As such yachts are likely to be processed properly as they probably won’t be queuing.
Alternatively go to St Pancras and get done prior to travel.

The question over how it handles visas expiring into Schengen time seems open though, as does how travelling within Schengen during a visa is handled. My assumption is nothing will be done so during the visa Schengen won’t tick down regardless of country you’re in, effectively giving full three months before and after a visa stay.

 

[gjgm]

Now that the EES is in force, is there any official information on what will happen to people arriving in a Schengen country by yacht? My understanding is that most maritime border staff will not have access to the EES system and will still be stamping passports, but as a trip to France may be a possibility this Summer I thought I should seek information. I can’t find anything of help on the official sites so far.

You have a few months to go!
In your case, immigration is almost certainly handled by the Customs /Douane. These are regional, so I will be making contact with the head office of the relevant region. I have found them very helpful and pretty prompt in replying with the exception of one office dead south of the Solent
These offices do seem to be somewhat autonomous, so what the next district decides may not be relevant if you turn up elsewhere!
I think I asked last Autumn, and north Brittany imagines that they would be continuing with the 2024/25 procedures, but lets see.

 

[lustyd]

You have a few months to go!

Technically one for EES, several for ETIAS. EES is actually live now in many places and they are scanning people at airports and ferry ports.

 

[gjgm]

I meant, he was travelling in some months !

 

[st599]

Relatively simple, just did my 8th trip since registering.

The only issue is that the scanners are large, so the chances of them being anywhere other than major transport hubs are nil.

 

[SimonX]

So nice just wafting thru the EU gate at Naples on Saturday, watching the Brits, Americans et al in line.

 

[lustyd]

The only issue is that the scanners are large, so the chances of them being anywhere other than major transport hubs are nil.

Don’t confuse passport scanners with EES biometrics collection. EES can be done with an iPad and is being done in the queues at ferry terminals. Passport control can be done manually as before, the large automated machines aren’t necessary. The difference is that the trip is logged digitally.

 

[John_Silver]

Roscoff have used a small (one finger size) finger print scanner on me several times since B-Day. When checking out, having comprehensively overstayed my 90 day allowance, to corroborate my French 6 month Visa de Long Sejour biometrics. Although, when I've later checked out of Le Havre or Dieppe (having booked back in at Cherbourg, following a stopover in Guernsey), the process has never been repeated. Don't know whether all ferry ports had/have the portable kit, or if Roscoff PaF are just a bit more 'by the book' than in other jurisdictions. The Roscoff device is about half the width of an old school computer mouse and is plugged in to the desk officer's PC as required. They seem to key my Visa data in, receive an instruction about which finger to verify, and then run the scanner check. Perhaps similar for EES?

 

[lustyd]

EES doesn’t require biometric scans on entry or exit, it just requires that they’re on file so you may only do it once.

 

[st599]

Don’t confuse passport scanners with EES biometrics collection. EES can be done with an iPad and is being done in the queues at ferry terminals. Passport control can be done manually as before, the large automated machines aren’t necessary. The difference is that the trip is logged digitally.

I haven't, thanks - I've used them 10 times so far.

All the EES scanners I've encountered are about 2 m tall and have hand scanners built-in, plus a facial scanner that moves calculating your height. They definitely aren't portable nor are they anything like an iPad. they may be in future, but they aren't now.

Here are the ones used in Austria, Switzerland and Germany:

Dutch ones are slightly smaller:

Even the ones at Eurotunnel, where you'd think they'd have deployed portable scanners if available are the tall versions where everyone will have to debus to use them.

Dover are saying that foot passengers will need to get a bus to Western Docks, do EES, get back on the bus, French immigration will apply a seal to the bus, it will drive back to the ferry terminal, where they'll check the seal, then if it's intact, you can go through security.

Ferry - EES Foot Passengers Procedure

 

[st599]

EES doesn’t require biometric scans on entry or exit, it just requires that they’re on file so you may only do it once.

EES requires biometric scans each time you transit the EU border, it replaces the passport checks with biometric scans. The initial scan is done in the presence of an immigration officer, then you can use the booths.

From the EU EES website:
The passport control officers will only verify your fingerprints and photo, which will take less time. In rare cases, it may be necessary to collect and record your data again.
If you hold a biometric passport, you will be able to enter more quickly using the self-service system (if available at that border crossing point).
European Union - EES / ETIAS

 

[st599]

Roscoff have used a small (one finger size) finger print scanner on me several times since B-Day. When checking out, having comprehensively overstayed my 90 day allowance, to corroborate my French 6 month Visa de Long Sejour biometrics. Although, when I've later checked out of Le Havre or Dieppe (having booked back in at Cherbourg, following a stopover in Guernsey), the process has never been repeated. Don't know whether all ferry ports had/have the portable kit, or if Roscoff PaF are just a bit more 'by the book' than in other jurisdictions. The Roscoff device is about half the width of an old school computer mouse and is plugged in to the desk officer's PC as required. They seem to key my Visa data in, receive an instruction about which finger to verify, and then run the scanner check. Perhaps similar for EES?

That's not EES though, that's France's own system.

I've been through EES in France in January arriving CDG leaving on Eurostar - it was a 2m scanner of the type in the Eurotunnel image at both.

 

[lustyd]

All the EES scanners I've encountered are about 2 m tall and have hand scanners built-in, plus a facial scanner that moves calculating your height. They definitely aren't portable nor are they anything like an iPad. they may be in future, but they aren't now.

Just because you have not seen one, doesn’t mean they aren’t in use. A quick Google will show you the various devices in use, many of which are ipads in rugged cases with fingerprint scanners built in.

 

[lustyd]

EES requires biometric scans each time you transit the EU border

Photo is biometric and has been in common use at the border for years. What I meant was the additional biometrics are not required at every crossing such as fingerprints.

 

[Leslie frank]

We were "captured" at Gijon in Spain last year when we went to get our passport stamped. They had a finger print scanner and a camera thing on the desk plugged into a desktop. It was what they were planning to use for yachties and we were their guinea pigs.
To answer the OP I think you just rock up where you would normally go to get your.passport stamped and see what equipment they have working.
The confusion with France to me is whether this means that using marinas other than ports of entry will still be possible going forward.

 

[st599]

Photo is biometric and has been in common use at the border for years. What I meant was the additional biometrics are not required at every crossing such as fingerprints.

That's not what's happening at the moment and contradicts the EU website which states the photo AND fingerprints will be verified.

Also, see French government stating fingerprint is required
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...mplementing-the-future-ees-and-etias-systems/

 

[st599]

The confusion with France to me is whether this means that using marinas other than ports of entry will still be possible going forward.

Looking at the technical specification on the EU site, phase 2 will have portable devices (described as a suitcase border post) where a border officer can set up a temporary border post (the use case given is at a cruise ship dock). And phase 3 will have a phone or tablet dock which has better biometric sensors. However, it seems to say that these are only for verifying against the database, not for the initial entry.

 

[Lightwave395]

Now that the EES is in force, is there any official information on what will happen to people arriving in a Schengen country by yacht? My understanding is that most maritime border staff will not have access to the EES system and will still be stamping passports, but as a trip to France may be a possibility this Summer I thought I should seek information. I can’t find anything of help on the official sites so far.

I checked into and out of Caen last week, foot passengers were nabbed by the new scheme but not drivers