New Border technology

[Bootledodger]

We've all used the fingerprint/eye machine for a couple of years at Palma - has anyone been through in the last week? have the waiting times changed much? I always find Palma somewhat better staffed than Malaga - we're over next week and hope it's remained a better experience.

 

[Disorderly]

My family and I have been through over the last few weeks and there have been no issues for us.

 

[Gommar Goffer]

All the reports that I have seen on Facebook say that it is very quick and easy

 

[martinchip10]

Reports at home suggest people are missing return flights back home due to long queues for the finger print machines, although admittedly not at Palma.
We had ours first done in March in Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria so assume we are OK for 3 years and can go straight to normal Passport Control?

 

[bobley]

Reports at home suggest people are missing return flights back home due to long queues for the finger print machines, although admittedly not at Palma.
We had ours first done in March in Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria so assume we are OK for 3 years and can go straight to normal Passport Control?

You'll probably find that the staff will try to send you to the EES machines but hopefully you can persuade them you've already scanned. I've managed to skip the queue 1 out of 4 trips.. need to be more confident...

Leaving is never a problem.

 

[Luckyone]

You'll probably find that the staff will try to send you to the EES machines but hopefully you can persuade them you've already scanned. I've managed to skip the queue 1 out of 4 trips.. need to be more confident...

Leaving is never a problem.

Do you mean E Gates in and out? We did successfull prints and photographs in March at Tenerife. You must use E Gates thereafter?

 

[bobley]

Do you mean E Gates in and out? We did successfull prints and photographs in March at Tenerife. You must use E Gates thereafter?

You always need to use the E gates which is fine, but so far I've always been told to join the queue for EES machines... I'm hearing that they've twigged now and you can tell them you're already scanned and get sent down a quieter lane directly to the E Gates.

 

[car77]

I'm a bit confused by it all to be honest. I entered Palma a couple of weeks ago and was sent to the EES machines but it would not register me. I was sent on to the e-gates and then to have my passport stamped manually. When leaving this week, I just went to the e-gates but did not have my passport stamped on exit? Presumably I'm still in Mallorca? !!
I'll try again in June.

 

[Disorderly]

I’ve tried to do the fingerprints about 8 times at both Palma and Girona and am always told by the machine to “go to E-Gates”. Staff tell me I’m already registered, though I’ve never done prints or photo. Theory goes that it’s because we have NIE numbers linked to our passwords. When we next get new passports, we will then have to do the prints etc. Mmmm……very odd - time will tell.

 

[bobley]

If the EES has your details already and the E gates let you through then you're sorted. The reason they're not stamping at the airport is because they're through the trial phase now and EES is being used to log your entry/exit.

I don't think the NIE number matters. My NIE is linked to my passport... and I finally got a new passport this week so maybe I'll have to link the new passport to EES?? I'll try it soon.

 

[Disorderly]

If the EES has your details already and the E gates let you through then you're sorted. The reason they're not stamping at the airport is because they're through the trial phase now and EES is being used to log your entry/exit.

I don't think the NIE number matters. My NIE is linked to my passport... and I finally got a new passport this week so maybe I'll have to link the new passport to EES?? I'll try it soon.

I’d be very interested to hear of your experience with the new passport……please do post that.

 

[Bootledodger]

Should have fed back...as we'd already done the registration thing a number of times, we were able to directly to the e-gate.
No queues either way.

 

[Disorderly]

I’m happy to say that we breezed through the “already registered” channel a couple of weeks ago with no password stamping, so clearly we are registered despite never having been asked to do the fingerprint thing. So it seems my NIE Number theory must hold up. Happy days!

 

[Carol]

Our experience has been mixed. We registered with EES in December - quick and easy. We came in March and April and went down the ‘registered’ lane and went through E Gates with no problem. We came almost 2 weeks ago - down registered lane but E Gates said ‘No’. We had to go back and register again - very fortunately there were no queues but why? A few people like us had also been refused. Anyway let’s see what happens when we return next month. We both have had NIE numbers for over 30 years so not sure that has nothing to do with this system.

 

[Disorderly]

Our experience has been mixed. We registered with EES in December - quick and easy. We came in March and April and went down the ‘registered’ lane and went through E Gates with no problem. We came almost 2 weeks ago - down registered lane but E Gates said ‘No’. We had to go back and register again - very fortunately there were no queues but why? A few people like us had also been refused. Anyway let’s see what happens when we return next month. We both have had NIE numbers for over 30 years so not sure that has nothing to do with this system.

Have you had new passports after your April trip?

 

[Carol]

No - passports have 2 years left.

 

[Disorderly]

No - passports have 2 years left.

Very curious. The pessimist in me expects that if it happens to us, it will be in July at a very busy time!

 

[bobley]

Very curious. The pessimist in me expects that if it happens to us, it will be in July at a very busy time!

I'll be out with my new passport week Sunday so I'll confirm it... but I googled it..

"No, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will not automatically recognize you. Because your digital EES profile is directly linked to your travel document, getting a new passport means you must create a brand new registration. [1, 2, 3]
When you arrive in the Schengen Area with your new passport, you will need to:

• Create a new profile: Have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned again.
• Link your travel history: The border guard will connect your old trips to your new passport number. [1, 2, 3]

Once you are registered in the EES on this first trip with your new passport, the profile will be valid for your next 3 years of travel—or until that passport expires, whichever happens first. [1, 2]"

 

[Charles Martel]

There has recently been a lot of toing and froing about this in the online version of the Majorca Daily Bulletin

 

[Disorderly]

I'll be out with my new passport week Sunday so I'll confirm it... but I googled it..

"No, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will not automatically recognize you. Because your digital EES profile is directly linked to your travel document, getting a new passport means you must create a brand new registration. [1, 2, 3]
When you arrive in the Schengen Area with your new passport, you will need to:

• Create a new profile: Have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned again.
• Link your travel history: The border guard will connect your old trips to your new passport number. [1, 2, 3]

Once you are registered in the EES on this first trip with your new passport, the profile will be valid for your next 3 years of travel—or until that passport expires, whichever happens first. [1, 2]"

Very interesting and pretty much what I anticipated. Be very helpful to hear about your experience on your next visit.