Dover ferry delays: Bank holiday queues grow as Entry-Exit System slows crossings to France

Ferry passengers travelling from the UK to France via the Port of Dover are warned to expect significant delays this weekend as the bank holiday coincides with the full rollout of the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES).

The port is preparing for around 18,000 travellers between Friday and Sunday, with May 23 expected to be the busiest day. 

Peak pressure is expected between 06:00 and 13:00, when more than 8,000 passengers are due to pass through border controls.

On May 22, the Port of Dover reported processing times of up to 120 minutes for tourist traffic in the Buffer Zone.

It said check-in delays for coaches were around 30 minutes, but warned there was also “external congestion on the Port approach roads.”

New EU border checks slow UK–France crossings

The disruption is linked to the EES, which has been introduced across the Schengen Area, including France. 

The system requires non-EU visitors to the EU's Schengen area, including UK passport holders, to be registered with biometric data and a digital entry or exit record.

At Dover, full checks involving collection of biometrics via special kiosks have only been introduced for coach travellers, meaning that French border agents - who manage the EES at the crossing point - are instead creating traveller records for people in cars manually, adding extra time at peak periods. 

As yet, biometrics are not being collected from them.

Official EES rules state merely that, at times when delays become severe, the collection of EES biometric data may be suspended for limited periods of up to six hours, in order to ease congestion and restore traffic flow. 

However, the European Commission has told The Connexion that there is nothing in the rules preventing additional six-hour periods following a first six-hour period.

A Port of Dover spokesperson has advised passengers to “arrive no more than two hours before their scheduled sailing” and to ensure travel documents are ready in advance. 

Travellers are also being asked to bring food, water and essentials, particularly for families, in case of extended waits.

If passengers miss their ferry due to delays, they will be transferred to the next available sailing.

How EES affects France residents

For Britons living in France, including those holding a French residency card, the EES does not officially change border rules on lane usage. 

However, the system adds pressure to non-EU queues, where processing times are already longer than EU lanes, and in practice the rules are not always being applied consistently.

Non-EU nationals should in theory continue to use non-EU passport controls unless travelling with an EU family member.

An exception may be made for the use of passport e-gates, where available, for citizens of several English-speaking countries, including Britons and Americans. Rules on how this works currently vary from one border crossing point (port, airport, station...) to another.

Travellers are advised to check the latest updates from the Port of Dover and their ferry operator before departure, and to allow plenty of additional time to reach the terminal and clear border controls.