 Poster: A snowHead
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| Erewegoagain wrote: |
| My recent experience of two totally different scenarios. Scenario 1 - in/out of Geneva 1st week of Feb. EES switched off both entering and leaving but long queue’s through passport control both ways. Scenario 2 - just returned from a cruise to Spain/France. Not even passport control to get on or off the ship in port. No sign off any EES machines at any of the ports we visited. Makes the whole EES a bit of a joke if its only airports and ferry/Eurotunnel terminals. |
Why would you expect passport control?
You are just moving within the EU
You will have gone through passport control on the way to the ship or when you joined it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Most of the chat here (as well as @Nemisis's Connexion link), is about experience at airports.
What about Eurotunnel?
A quick internet search suggests similar problems are envisaged, and there will also be a delay in EES here.
See VisaHQ and BBC news.
My concern is EES will be suddenly introduced without warning on the very day I choose to travel . . . 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There is no EES requirement if you are a passenger on a cruise that starts from outside the EU but stops and does day trips in the EU.
There will ne systems in place whereby you are pre-cleared when leaving and returning to the UK.
Eurotunnel will be worse as if any one person in a vehicle is not an EU/EEA national then that vehicle needs to go to the new shed for that person to register with EES.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Salzburg arrival on Saturday. Plenty of scanning kiosks - scan then go to desk for stamp. Plenty of sheep either blocking the way to desk or going to desk unscanned and then having to do it at desk. Hardly any delay if you were organised/aware.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| dak64 wrote: |
| gilo wrote: |
| Random question, we entered the EU using Irish passports as didn’t want to risk EES delays on a busy half term Saturday. As we are leaving on Friday (presumably quieter), and have our UK passports with us, has anyone managed to get EES registration done while EXITING the EU? |
Why bother? Would you not always want to travel on the Irish passport when entering/exiting the EU? I can see no reason or benefit to registering the UK passport? And count me as envious of your dual citizenship status, I wish I had a path to qualify for an Irish (or any other EU) passport. |
Exactly. I now regualrly leave the UK on the UK passport, enter the EU on the EU passpposrt, leave the EU on the EU passport, enter the UK on the UK passport. There is no need for EES registration; a border guard at Copenhagen even told me to do it this way.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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EES at Geneva airport update.
It is required to do the registration on arrival.
Plenty of machines...but N.B. be quick to get your fingers on the scanner when registering, the slightest hesitation and it times out and you have to start the whole thing again...I stress Quick!
Once that is done wait in additional queue for manual.passport stamping which makes no cross reference at all to the EES registration you just did!
On exit...quick flick through passport and exit stamp, didn't scan passport, again no cross reference to EES.
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| ptex wrote: |
| dak64 wrote: |
| gilo wrote: |
| Random question, we entered the EU using Irish passports as didn’t want to risk EES delays on a busy half term Saturday. As we are leaving on Friday (presumably quieter), and have our UK passports with us, has anyone managed to get EES registration done while EXITING the EU? |
Why bother? Would you not always want to travel on the Irish passport when entering/exiting the EU? I can see no reason or benefit to registering the UK passport? And count me as envious of your dual citizenship status, I wish I had a path to qualify for an Irish (or any other EU) passport. |
Exactly. I now regualrly leave the UK on the UK passport, enter the EU on the EU passpposrt, leave the EU on the EU passport, enter the UK on the UK passport. There is no need for EES registration; a border guard at Copenhagen even told me to do it this way. |
Of academic interest only as I have only a UK passport but do you need to remember to use the correct passport details when entering API info, ie. (Presumably) UK passport when leaving the UK and EU passport when leaving the EU?
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@Red Leon, Back in the day I used to have 2 x UK passports (Israel and Arab Middle East) and I did experiment with using one for API and the other for travel, and they didn't pull me up on it. (Always had the other one in my back pocket in case).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Red Leon wrote: |
| ...Of academic interest only as I have only a UK passport but do you need to remember to use the correct passport details when entering API info, ie. (Presumably) UK passport when leaving the UK and EU passport when leaving the EU? |
Isn't API mainly for the destination authorities, and/or for the travel provider to be confident that the passenger won't be rejected on arrival? So if anything it would be the other way around?
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Arrived ZRH on Saturday 28th February. Half of the train connecting E Gates to main terminal out-of-action (looks like one side closed for maintenance). Once the loading area filled with enough people to fill a train, staff directed people to get a bus. We got on a train.
Arrived at immigration at about 11:15am, had a choice of automated (EES kiosks) or non-automated. There was no wait to access the kiosks so we did that... scanned passport, took photo and finger prints, no questionnaire. Then joined queue for the manual stamp. There were four booths open to handle that part... where they scanned our passport again, asked how long we would stay, where we were going, and stamped the passport. We were through by 11:45am so about 30 minutes total.
The non-automated queue also had four booths open for non-EU passports. I did not observe whether they were photographed/fingerprinted at the booths. It is hard to tell but I *think* it was taking somewhat longer than 30 minutes to get through that path.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| DJL wrote: |
| Salzburg arrival on Saturday. Plenty of scanning kiosks - scan then go to desk for stamp. Plenty of sheep either blocking the way to desk or going to desk unscanned and then having to do it at desk. Hardly any delay if you were organised/aware. |
I flew into Salzburg on Saturday too and waltzed straight past the machines with my lovely Irish passport 
My British-passport holding better half moved past the queues for the first group of machines and started waiting at the second group of machines, but was actually told by the one member of staff by the machines to head straight to the desk without scanning because of the complete lack of queue there.
Not that either really made any difference seeing as we still had to wait until about 40 minutes after landing for the baggage to start appearing on the conveyor belt (or in the bus station in the case of my board bag).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I flew into Salzburg Saturday too. Wasn’t really paying attention and wandered straight up to the desk. Guy looked at my passport, stamped it, and I was on my way. He didn’t scan passport in any way, had he assumed I’d already been to a kiosk?
I registered for EES back in December at Hook of Holland, and they didn’t stamp entry. When I flew out of Salzburg couple of weeks ago they were confused how I’d been in the country without an entry stamp. Got the impression my entry didn’t show when they scanned the passport.
So now I seem to have a bit of a mix of EES and stamps!
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Sounds a right mess,
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You know it makes sense.
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Nothing at Dover this morning. In fact it was so quiet I did the roundabout at the port entrance to underway (I think that’s the nautical banter for setting off) in 27 mins. On a ferry 2 hours early, although the nice DFDS lady did tell me I hadn’t time to use the quayside facilities before embarking.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Geneva 1930 Tuesday night, zero queue. Passport control told me that I don’t need to do EES computer “ever again for Switzerland, you are in there forever now”.
Departure weds 1700 15 min queue for c-gate passport control.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@BobinCH, that’s pretty standard most times I go via GVA but I have generally found the queues disperse at a reasonable rate. Certainly that’s what I’m bracing for our arrival tomorrow
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yet a little later in Geneva not much of a queue. There was a bit of one, but then non EU/CH folk were diverted to the EU/CH booths which were quiet and we were through in 10mins. None of the EES machines seemed to be in operation. As a bonus the EJ flight pulled up at an air bridge so no fat bus today.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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40 minute queue for passport control at Oslo this lunchtime.
They were taking the fingerprints and photos at the manned checkpoints. This only took less than a minute, but I think there was a cumulative delay from having to do this for a queue of several hundred UK arrivals.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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This morning I flew into Frankfurt for a connecting flight to Zurich. There was only one hour and a quarter between arrival and departure times. I used the EES machine (big signs telling people to use these to preregister before joining the long queue to get your passports checked and stamped.).It wasn't helped by numerous people having failed to preregister with the machines so they had to get their photo and fingerprints taken at the passport control.  Had to run to my gate and was the last passenger to board. Phew, I could do without all the aggravation. Still I made it onboard the connecting flight.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Eurostar at St Pancras. Pre-registration kiosks not yet operational, so photo and fingerprints at the French passport booths.
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And isn't it supposed to be largely up and running in a month??
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came back through turin yesterday am - zero q at easyjet or security- straight through gate 6b - why cant it alwasy be like this! When we landed last staurday we were straight through as well
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Turin chaos. I think they stopped the EES in the end. We took 1hr 20mins from landing to collecting luggage. And talk to me about finding my skis, absolute clusterf**k. Might complain 
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Isn't EES supposed to be fully live in a month or so??
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| colinstone wrote: |
| Isn't EES supposed to be fully live in a month or so?? |
Really can't see it happening.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
They were taking the fingerprints and photos at the manned checkpoints. This only took less than a minute, but I think there was a cumulative delay from having to do this for a queue of several hundred UK arrivals.
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They are supposed to check your fingerprints and photo everytime you enter Shengen. I suppose they will continue stamping passports as well up to October 10th, six months after EES becomes fully operational.
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A quick question. Has anyone entere Shengen recently with less than 2 blank pages on their passport and if so what happened. Google says you must (but then I treet AI advice the same as the man down the pub). The UK gov webpages doesn't mention it.
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You know it makes sense.
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| colinstone wrote: |
| Isn't EES supposed to be fully live in a month or so?? |
Sort of. They announced April as the deadline but there was also some small print that they would look at it and airports had a contingency to relax EES for another few months to alleviate spring/summer chaos. September seems to be the new target date.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Now in its 20th page, as far as I can see, nine out of ten delay complaints are simply down to the usual issue of multiple ‘planes arriving simultaneously, and not enough immigration officers to do the stamping. Nothing to do with EES.
Not that the reporting isn’t useful - just that perhaps the thread title should be changed to ‘Airport Delay Feedback’ ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Geneva today (Sunday 8th). EES off, through in about 10mins. Luggage there 5 mins later.
Now stuck awaiting transport to resort.  Can't win
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Turin today (Sunday 8th). We were the 16th of 18 UK/Eire flights to land this morning. 16 EES registration booths, all turned off. Queue snaked half way to the boarding bridge, down the stairs, another snake past the 16 EES machines, the divided into 5 lanes. 3 of those lanes went to ordinary passport booths, where the seemingly brain dead immigraton officer just stamped the passports and let us through. The other two (left hand) lanes went to EES machines, where fingerprints and retina scans were being performed.
There was no noticible difference in the times it took for each queue to get through. Probably an hour from biggles smacking us into the tarmac to getting through immigration. Baggage was waiting for us when we got to the carouselle. On the road in a rental car in under 2 hours. In resort (Sauze D'Oulx) before 2pm.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Red Leon wrote: |
| ptex wrote: |
| dak64 wrote: |
| gilo wrote: |
| Random question, we entered the EU using Irish passports as didn’t want to risk EES delays on a busy half term Saturday. As we are leaving on Friday (presumably quieter), and have our UK passports with us, has anyone managed to get EES registration done while EXITING the EU? |
Why bother? Would you not always want to travel on the Irish passport when entering/exiting the EU? I can see no reason or benefit to registering the UK passport? And count me as envious of your dual citizenship status, I wish I had a path to qualify for an Irish (or any other EU) passport. |
Exactly. I now regualrly leave the UK on the UK passport, enter the EU on the EU passpposrt, leave the EU on the EU passport, enter the UK on the UK passport. There is no need for EES registration; a border guard at Copenhagen even told me to do it this way. |
Of academic interest only as I have only a UK passport but do you need to remember to use the correct passport details when entering API info, ie. (Presumably) UK passport when leaving the UK and EU passport when leaving the EU? |
No, I use just the UK passport details when leaving the UK and UK passport again for the return flight for entry back into the UK for the API. That was the advice I was given and I've travelled this way several times now without any issues.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Exited Switzerland through ZRH on Saturday 7th March... arrived airport at about 1:30pm. Went through security at 2pm, and immigration shortly after that (E-Gates). Zero queues anywhere... the quietest I have ever seen it (I wonder if having no flights to the Middle East helped). For immigration exit, went straight to the non-EU manned booth and I was surprised that they took photograph and fingerprints again... I had done that on entry. I thought the whole point of EES was that once you registered once, you could subsequently use eGates to enter/exit the EU without the need to re-register face and fingerprints?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
I thought the whole point of EES was that once you registered once, you could subsequently use eGates to enter/exit the EU without the need to re-register face and fingerprints?
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I don't think anyone knows what the "point" of all this is.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
I don't think anyone knows what the "point" of all this is.
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The point is to know who exactly is coming into and out of the Shengen area. The current situation of relying on passport stamps is flaky at best. I don't think anyone has actually checked whether or not I've exceeded my 90 day limit.
Most countries have now also moved to recording biometric data to check you are actually who you say you are. Just looking at your face and comparing it to the photograph in the passport which may be 9 years old without a beard as done at the moment is unsound.
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@johnE, there seem to be some folk who relish any reports of the inevitable glitches when rolling out a system such as this as an opportunity for "EU bashing".
Maybe they don't require such a system in Florida as no-one in their right mind would want to go there now, and their main thrust appears to be on deporting as many people as possible?
Last time I visited Miami (long before Trump Mark 1) immigration was such a nightmare that I almost missed my connecting flight to Mexico.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Huge queue (at least as long as when it took me over an hour late last year) again last night at Geneva, but those who were pre-registered were sent to a different (much shorter) queue that was about 10 mins. However, a mate on the flight behind was told he couldn’t use that queue, so I’m not sure whether it was a temporary thing.
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Come thru Turin this morning, 6.35 flight from Gatwick that landed early so one of the earliest flights in. Strolled thru with no queue, but there are 3 queue points so can see potential for delays at busy times. Not many of the machines.
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FAQ
