France Confirms Phased Rollout of EU’s New EES Border Controls

France confirmed it will phase in the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) from October 12, gradually reshaping international border experiences.

Phased Introduction Across Border Points

The French Interior Ministry emphasised a six-month phased introduction, ensuring airports, ports, and rail stations can adapt gradually to the EES. Each border location will operate on a tailored timeline, balancing infrastructure readiness, passenger demand, and staffing levels, while maintaining consistently high security standards.

This flexible approach helps France manage potential congestion during rollout, while providing valuable real-time lessons for improving biometric technology integration across travel networks.

Impact on Travelers and Residents

Non-EU travellers must register biometric details under EES, creating new entry requirements and possible delays compared with today’s traditional passport checks. Foreign residents holding long-stay visas or residency permits will face challenges, as Parafe e-gates initially exclude them from automated processing.

Authorities acknowledged queues may lengthen temporarily, yet reassured travellers that updated procedures will ultimately streamline arrivals and departures across French international border crossings.

Pre-Registration Devices and Future Mobile App

Dedicated pre-registration kiosks will be deployed near border points, separating travellers efficiently into eligible and non-eligible categories to maintain smoother flows. Authorities confirmed they will trial a Frontex-backed “Travel to Europe” mobile app by 2026, simplifying biometric registration before international journeys begin.

This app aims to reduce border wait times significantly, by enabling travellers to pre-enroll biometric information securely through smartphones before reaching checkpoints.