New Government funding announced for Port of Dover to reduce queues

The Government is providing £20 million in local council funding to increase the number of booths for passport checks at the Port of Dover.

The funding should increase capacity for processing vehicles, reduce wait times, and ease congestion. In response, Doug Bannister, CEO at the Port of Dover, said he was ‘really grateful for all the support’.

According to Kent Country Council – who will receive the funding – the scheme is could reduce the need for Dover TAP and Operation Brock (two regional traffic management systems) by up to 80%.

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Following the announcement, the Transport Secretary met with the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism about supporting UK residents through the new security checks for tourists.

They discussed the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), where Alexander raised concerns over travellers looking to get away into Europe over the summer months, and part of the funding will be used to help in this area.

What is EES?

The Entry/Exit System (EES), which applies to non-EU nationals travelling into and out of the Schengen Area, began to be phased in from October 2025.

Under the scheme, travellers are required to register their details the first time they cross a Schengen border by scanning their passport and providing biometric information, including a facial photograph and fingerprint scans.

While most EES checks will be carried out on arrival in an EU member state, passengers departing from the UK via the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Eurostar will complete these procedures before they travel.

The system has been introduced by the EU to strengthen border security, improve the monitoring of entry and exit movements, and help identify individuals who overstay permitted visa-free travel periods.

It is also intended to modernise border management by replacing the manual stamping of passports with a digital record of travellers' movements.

READ MORE: EU Entry/Exit System (EES)