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Tunnel gets ready for biometric checks

[ April 8, 2024   //   ]

Channel Tunnel shuttle operator Getlink says it is on track with building a pre-registration building at its French terminal in Coquelles ahead of new biometric controls due to be introduced for travellers to and from the EU later this year.

Getlink invested over €80 million in the last three years at its Coquelles and Folkestone terminals and, with civil works now complete, the installation of the first biometric kiosks has begun is a major step in meeting the 6 October deadline for the Entry/Exit System, it says.

The investment programme includes the creation of dedicated EES control bays, modifying infrastructure, installation of biometric kiosks and dynamic site signage. 

The now complete pre-registration area features a drive-through zone equipped with CCTV and covered by a roof to protect passengers and equipment. At 7,000sq m, it can accommodate up to 60 passenger vehicles simultaneously. Each vehicle bay will be equipped with two static kiosks to complete the necessary biometric checks (facial and fingerprint) which will be required for non-EU nationals entering the European Union.

A total of 224 kiosks will be installed on the two terminals in France and the UK.

In the UK, civil works to adapt the terminal in Folkestone are due for delivery before the summer with the subsequent installation of biometric kiosks and testing period in July.

Truck as well as all car and coach passengers will need to be biometrically scanned. While the issue is a relatively minor one for freight drivers – who would not need to be scanned again once their details are loaded into the system – there are concerns that queues of cars and coaches awaiting scanning could create congestion, affecting all traffic passing through the Channel Tunnel and ro ro ports.

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