France Opens e-Gates to UK Travellers
British travellers arriving in France may be able to use airport e-gates again, even after the launch of the EU Entry/Exit System. The change applies at French border points where PARAFE e-gates are available for eligible non-EU visitors. It could help reduce queues at airports handling large numbers of UK arrivals during the summer season.
What UK travellers need to know
The e-gates do not remove EES checks, but they can make the border process faster where the system is working:
- UK travellers may use e-gates at some French airports
- EES registration may still be required
- Some airports use pre-registration kiosks before the e-gates
- Border officers can still request manual checks
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is already allowing British passengers to use e-gates. When UK flights arrive, the airport changes some signs to "All Passports" and adds extra e-gates to help arrivals move faster. Bordeaux and other French airports are also considering similar access for non-EU travellers.
The change could make arrivals easier for UK holidaymakers heading to Paris, Bordeaux or the French Riviera. At Nice, faster border checks would be useful for trips to Cannes, Antibes, Monaco and other Côte d’Azur resorts. It may also help passengers with onward trains, rental cars or hotel check-ins after landing.
This does not mean queues will disappear. EES registration, staffing, flight bunching and airport layout can still slow arrivals, especially at peak times. The difference is that some UK travellers in France may no longer be pushed only towards manual passport-control desks, giving airports another way to move people through the border.