Businesses moving goods between the UK and mainland Europe are being advised to prepare for potential disruption as the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) continues to affect border operations at key UK–France crossings.
As the busy summer travel period continues, the Port of Dover and other cross-Channel routes are expected to experience significantly higher passenger volumes. Ongoing issues with the rollout of the EES mean French border authorities at Dover are currently carrying out manual registration of eligible non-EU travellers rather than using the new automated system, increasing border processing times and the risk of congestion.
What is the Entry/Exit System (EES)?
The EES is the EU’s new digital border management system, which records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals travelling into the Schengen Area. It replaces traditional passport stamping with biometric registration, including facial images and fingerprints, to strengthen border security and improve the monitoring of overstays.
What does this mean for freight?
It is important to note that the Entry/Exit System primarily affects non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area rather than freight movements themselves.
However, road freight operators using the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel may still experience delays because increased passenger traffic and longer border processing times can create congestion on approach roads, within port infrastructure and at cross-Channel terminals. As a result, HGV journey times and scheduled crossings may be affected during periods of particularly high demand.
Potential impacts include:
- Longer journey times to and from Dover and Folkestone.
- Delays accessing ferry terminals and the Channel Tunnel.
- Increased pressure on local road networks, particularly during weekends and holiday periods.
- Reduced schedule reliability for cross-Channel freight movements.
Planning ahead
Businesses with shipments moving between the UK and mainland Europe should consider allowing additional contingency within transport schedules over the coming weeks, particularly for movements routed via Dover-Calais or the Channel Tunnel.
Maintaining close communication with logistics providers and customers, monitoring traffic conditions and planning for potential delays can help minimise disruption where possible.
Our operations team is continuing to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates should there be any significant developments. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Please note: This update is based on information available at the time of publication. Border conditions and traffic levels may change at short notice, particularly during peak travel periods.