Passport Stamping

[st13phil]

Unless you live in a cave, it will have been impossible to ignore the chaos at the Port of Dover and also (to a lesser extent) at the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkstone last weekend caused by bottlenecks at French Customs posts where our passports now have to be stamped before being allowed entry to EU countries. Angie and I recently travelled Harwich / Hook of Holland on a ferry while on a motorcycle tour to Norway and there was a bit of a queue at Dutch Customs (which only had two booths processing non-EU passport holders for a whole ship-load of passengers) but nothing too serious, however it's clear that unless and until the relevant authorities increase their capacity to process non-EU passports at these customs posts we should all allow extra time to clear them.

There was one funny story that came from the trip regarding passport stamping, however, and in particular French Customs.

The guy running the tour, Paul, had taken a small group on a WWI Battlefields tour at the end of April, entering and leaving the EU via Calais, and had had his passport inspected by and stamped by French Customs on both entry and exit. All well and good as absent an exit stamp it could be impossible to prove the less than 90 days rule had been complied with.

Three weeks later he presented his passport to Spanish Customs on disembarking the ship at Santander at the start of another tour. Customs officer flicks through the pages and stops at the last French entries, looking puzzled and raising his eyebrows. He then calls over a colleague and shows him the page. Colleague duly raises his eyebrows too. Then they both flick backwards and forwards through the passport pages before stopping at the page stamped by the French and show it to Paul. It turns out that the French Custom's "exit" stamp was dated 4 days after the day he was entering Spain. "Bl*#dy French!", was the Spanish Customs officer's comment as he stamped the passport with the correct entry date to Spain and passed it back...

 

[Petrol Pete]

Since passport stamping became a 'thing' again I have been back and forth for work between Italy, Spain and the Netherlands with absolutely no real issues getting my passport stamped. I have had a few work requests to work in France , I simply turned them down.

I can't be doing with their crap. I fully realise not everyone has that luxury (I have worked and holidayed in France quite a lot in the past) but I have become bored with their attitude over the years.

 

[st13phil]

I have had a few work requests to work in France , I simply turned them down.

I can't be doing with their crap.

I love France, and most of the French, but French officialdom has to be one of the biggest obstacles on the planet.

When their President sets the tone that “the British must be punished for leaving the EU”, it’s little surprise that they think they have a free pass to make life more difficult than it need be for us on this side of the Channel.

 

[BoristheBounce]

Easy, don't go to France, I'm going to Germany next week instead of France as I usually would this time of year, they are doing themselves no favours. I would have even usually gone through the tunnel and driven up to Germany as I've done previously, but instead I've booked the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam instead to avoid France all together.

And saved myself 2 nights in a hotel and loads more fuel, its actually worked out a lot cheaper me taking the overnight ferry.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Beware the media. That was the busiest UK weekend of the year due to School holidays.

Someone piped up on Tuesday morning that they'd set off nine hours early expecting delays at Dover Port.

And what did they find? No queue at all. They just sailed through.

But "no queue today" is not news.

(And I've just double checked the route online as of now and there are no queues or blockages at either of the Dover Terminals)

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The media also love a good "B" skew.

They'll spin stories about "B" while ignoring others.

Thousands of cases and golf bags stuck in Edinburgh Airport around the time of the British Open. (Can't be blamed on shortage of EU staff because East and Southern Europeans never be daft enough to work in cold Scotland - so it goes unreported). That Edinburgh luggage backlog is expected to go on for the entire Summer.

All the European airports are in turmoil this summer, with caps on volume at CDG and FFT because of lack of staff. Yet UK tabloids talk about EU baggage handling staff shortages at LHR. And no-one reports the insane level of flight cancellations in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

Germany: Lufthansa ground staff strike, hundreds of flights canceled | DW | 27.07.2022

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

This will be an "own goal" for France as they will lose Ferry, Eurotunnel and Eurostar bookings this Summer and in the future.

 

[SpikyMikey]

The media also love a good "B" skew.

They'll spin stories about "B" while ignoring others.

Thousands of cases and golf bags stuck in Edinburgh Airport around the time of the British Open. (Can't be blamed on shortage of EU staff because East and Southern Europeans never be daft enough to work in cold Scotland - so it goes unreported). That Edinburgh luggage backlog is expected to go on for the entire Summer.

All the European airports are in turmoil this summer, with caps on volume at CDG and FFT because of lack of staff. Yet UK tabloids talk about EU baggage handling staff shortages at LHR. And no-one reports the insane level of flight cancellations in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

Germany: Lufthansa ground staff strike, hundreds of flights canceled | DW | 27.07.2022

Crazy: Icelandair’s Amsterdam Flights Now Carry Their Own Baggage Handlers

 

[W1ghty]

There is some new EU border control coming into effect in September . Everyone will have to get out of their vehicle to have biometric scanning of face/prints .
This is expected to cause delays .
Called ESS I think originally proposed back in 2013 ish

 

[st13phil]

All the European airports are in turmoil this summer, with caps on volume at CDG and FFT because of lack of staff. Yet UK tabloids talk about EU baggage handling staff shortages at LHR. And no-one reports the insane level of flight cancellations in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

^ Exactly this. The global passenger aviation industry is in turmoil at the moment.

At the best of times it’s a high op cost / low margin business that is very dependent upon maintaining volume to actually stay in the black. And it was shut down for best part of two years during which some employers chose to rid themselves of employees on reasonably paying contracts, and expect them to flock back now to be reemployed on less favourable terms (yes, I’m looking at BA here).

Add in the airport handling staff who lost their jobs and found employment elsewhere who rather like not having to turn in for work at all sorts of hours and be shouted at by angry “customers” and you get the chaos we now see.

But it’s much easier to claim that the UK is unique in this omnishambles and that it’s a result of the “B” word.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

There is some new EU border control coming into effect in September . Everyone will have to get out of their vehicle to have biometric scanning of face/prints .
This is expected to cause delays .
Called ESS I think originally proposed back in 2013 ish

To be fair, it's a rigorous modern technique that has made Airport passport processing faster and reduced queues significantly.

The question is whether the French can implement it effectively.

Shrug. It's time for dinner. I work a 35 hour week with six weeks paid holiday a year on top of my two weeks of national holidays.

.

 

[st13phil]

There is some new EU border control coming into effect in September . Everyone will have to get out of their vehicle to have biometric scanning of face/prints .
This is expected to cause delays .
Called ESS I think originally proposed back in 2013 ish

Info on the EU's "Entry-Exit System (EES) here:

Entry-Exit System

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be an automated IT system for registering travelers from third-countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa exempt travelers, each time they cross an EU external border.

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

This source suggests that May 2023 is the date it's "expected to be operational".

Should be fun for motorcyclists who it looks like will have to remove helmets & gloves which should speed up the process enormously

I'll also have a side bet that they won't provide covered areas out of the weather to carry out the checks...

 

[W1ghty]

Info on the EU's "Entry-Exit System (EES) here:

Entry-Exit System

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be an automated IT system for registering travelers from third-countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa exempt travelers, each time they cross an EU external border.

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

This source suggests that May 2023 is the date it's "expected to be operational".

Should be fun for motorcyclists who it looks like will have to remove helmets & gloves which should speed up the process enormously

I'll also have a side bet that they won't provide covered areas out of the weather to carry out the checks...

Funny last week it was end of September, so it will probably keep date slipping . Maybe they will bring it in on the 2023 Holiday getaway in July

 

[st13phil]

Maybe they will bring it in on the 2023 Holiday getaway in July

Absolutely. My prediction is that they'll implement it on the first weekend of UK school summer holidays when travel peaks, so as to cause maximum disruption. They're nothing if not predictable.

 

[Petrol Pete]

On a recent quick business trip to Frankfurt I was dreading the 'airport experience' on the UK side . I can (sort of) handle delays when going away on business for weeks as the bad memory fades and if its long haul there is time to relax before the next airport looms over the horizon.

But on one day (two nights away) trips it's a complete pain . Imagine my surprise when I had zero problems or delay UK side but an hours delay in Frankfurt waiting for my luggage (luggage for one day !? Yes , unfortunately some of my equipment can not be taken in the cabin) and an hour and a half to collect the hire car due to staff shortages.

On the way back my flight was delayed in Frankfurt for more than an hour due to 'operational restraints' ..whatever that is .

It's not just us.

 

[Ted]

Just to give my experience a week ago with Easyjet -Bristol-Faro and Faro-Bristol

Straight through security with a couple of passengers in front. We had paid for fast track but it wasn’t needed. Flight on time to Faro, luggage quickly turned up - great service.
On the return, again straight through security - no queue whatsoever (it WAS an early flight), flight on time, on arrival the luggage was already on the carousel as we disembarked and no delays whatsoever.
So brilliant job Easyjet and all the airport workers - you did yourselves proud

 

[Darrell]

We flew to Preveza a couple of weeks ago and had a complete trouble and stress free journey.

Our passports were stamped on arrival with no fuss whatsoever.

 

[DSM10000]

On a recent quick business trip to Frankfurt I was dreading the 'airport experience' on the UK side . I can (sort of) handle delays when going away on business for weeks as the bad memory fades and if its long haul there is time to relax before the next airport looms over the horizon.

But on one day (two nights away) trips it's a complete pain . Imagine my surprise when I had zero problems or delay UK side but an hours delay in Frankfurt waiting for my luggage (luggage for one day !? Yes , unfortunately some of my equipment can not be taken in the cabin) and an hour and a half to collect the hire car due to staff shortages.

On the way back my flight was delayed in Frankfurt for more than an hour due to 'operational restraints' ..whatever that is .

It's not just us.

Frenkfurt is one of the most shambolic and depressing airports I know.

The staff have always had a poor attitude and our German friends refuse to use it.