The Entry/Exit System is now fully live at Schengen borders. Here’s what UK hauliers need to know about the current rules and what comes next.
Written by Tristan Bacon — Updated 14 September 2026
On 12 October 2025, the European Union rolled out the Entry/Exit System, replacing passport stamping with biometric checks at Schengen borders.
For UK haulage companies, this change isn’t just another travel rule. It alters how drivers move goods across Europe and how schedules are planned.
With EES now fully operational, understanding the current rules — and the ongoing disruption at Dover — is what separates well-run freight operations from those caught off guard.
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The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new digital border tool designed to record entries and exits into Schengen countries. Instead of stamps, drivers will register fingerprints and a facial image – part of a wider EU plan to modernise border checks, tighten security, and reduce illegal overstays.
This process creates a digital record linked to the driver’s passport. The record also stores entry and exit times, location, and personal details. Once created, it remains valid for three years or until the passport expires.
There are exemptions:
The system also automatically checks compliance with the 90 days in 180 rule. UK drivers can’t spend more than 90 days in the Schengen area within any rolling 180-day period. Overstaying could mean fines or even bans.
If you’re familiar with the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa system, EES works in a similar way. Both aim to replace outdated manual checks with digital records, making it easier to track movements and prevent overstays.
The difference is that ETA is a pre-travel authorisation for visitors entering the UK, while the EES is a border registration process that takes place when travellers arrive at, or depart from, the EU.
The Entry/Exit System launched on 12 October 2025 with a phased rollout, reaching nominal full enforcement at all Schengen borders on 10 April 2026. In practice, implementation has been uneven.
The EES applies across 29 Schengen and associated states, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Poland. It does not apply in the Republic of Ireland or Cyprus.
UK freight drivers will face the Entry/Exit System at different stages depending on the port.
At Dover and Folkestone, French border officials complete checks before departure, as these locations operate juxtaposed controls.
At other UK ferry terminals, drivers will complete registration on arrival at the EU port.
The Entry/Exit System affects every UK driver with a UK passport. Unlike EU passport holders, they must complete biometric checks.
The first crossing after launch will take longer. Drivers must scan their passport, provide fingerprints, and have a photo taken. Later journeys are quicker, needing only a scan and either a fingerprint or photo.
This matters for companies running tight schedules. Cross-border contracts often depend on just-in-time deliveries. Any delay at Dover or Folkestone can disrupt the entire supply chain.
The new system also enforces the 90/180-day rule without exception. Overstays are no longer hidden behind faint or missing stamps. For firms relying on international HGV drivers, this rule carries added weight. A ban could leave you short of drivers when you most need them.
The Entry/Exit System will reshape border checks for UK drivers. It brings risks of delays, compliance issues, and added pressure on operations.
But with the right preparation, haulage companies can reduce disruption.
Freight drivers were among the first processed under the Entry/Exit System, as of 12 October 2025.
RHA and BIFA expect queues at Dover and Folkestone as drivers complete biometric checks. Even a short delay at kiosks can multiply into hours of waiting when thousands of vehicles are involved.
How to prepare
Biometric checks add minutes to every trip, and more on the first crossing.
These small delays can disrupt delivery slots and compliance with EU drivers’ hours rules.
Even beyond April 2026’s full-enforcement deadline, rollout has remained inconsistent. France invoked Article 9 of the EES regulations to pause biometric processing at Dover in May 2026, and as of August 2026 the biometric kiosks there remain inactive for passenger vehicles.
Freight drivers should not assume EES processing is always active — but equally, should not assume it will be suspended. Build flexibility into trip planning regardless of the current suspension status.
New reception areas and kiosks are being built at Dover and Folkestone, but space is limited. Smaller ports may face bottlenecks if facilities can’t handle demand.
This adds pressure to HGV driver management and depot operations.
Queues and delays risk late deliveries, which can frustrate shippers.
Without clear communication, trust and haulage contracts could be at risk.
The Road Haulage Association has warned that freight and coach drivers will face delays once the Entry/Exit System begins. They expect queues at Eurotunnel and Dover despite government investment.
The British International Freight Association has pointed that the success of rollout depends on French border staffing. Even with kiosks, shortages of trained officers could slow traffic.
To support the rollout, the UK Government has invested £10.5 million in infrastructure at Dover, Folkestone, and St Pancras. This includes new kiosks, reception areas, and processing zones. But industry bodies believe delays are still likely in the first months.
The Entry/Exit System is the first step in a wider change.
ETIAS — the EU’s pre-travel authorisation system for visa-exempt nationals — has been delayed beyond 2026. The EU removed the Q4 2026 target from the official ETIAS website in July 2026; a 2027 launch is now widely expected, though no confirmed date has been announced.
The Entry/Exit System is a major shift for UK haulage. It brings biometric checks, stricter rules, and likely delays.
Companies that prepare now can reduce disruption. That means training drivers, adjusting schedules, updating contracts, and keeping shippers informed. Like adapting to driver wellbeing measures, or changes in compliance rules, planning ahead will help the industry adjust.
EES is now part of day-to-day cross-border operations. The firms managing it best are those who have built buffer time into schedules, kept drivers briefed on what to expect at each port, and stayed close to RHA and BIFA updates as the rollout continues to evolve.
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The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is a digital border check that replaced passport stamps from 12 October 2025. It records passport details, biometrics, and travel dates for non-EU nationals, including UK drivers. First checks take longer, but repeat trips are quicker.
UK passport holders must scan their passport, provide fingerprints, and have a photo taken on their first crossing into the Schengen area. This initial registration will already be complete for most regular cross-border drivers. Subsequent crossings only require a passport scan and one biometric check (fingerprint or photo). Note: where EES biometric processing has been temporarily suspended (as at Dover from May 2026), drivers still undergo standard passport checks but may not need to complete the full biometric registration step.
Yes. Once fully operational, it applies at all external Schengen borders. Ireland and Cyprus are excluded.
Yes, and it already has. Summer 2026 produced queues of up to five hours at Dover, prompting France to temporarily suspend biometric checks under Article 9 of the EES regulations. Even with the suspension in place, HGV drivers can be trapped behind tourist queues in the same lanes. Expect ongoing variability through the autumn as the system continues to bed in.
