flatlander

I can tell HMRC how to create an index on their database table for a very reasonable consultancy fee....

Danish passports work just fine in the e-gates as long as their chip isn't broken. The Danes continue to use a rigid piece of plastic for the photo / data / chip page and it's easy to bend it enough to crack the antenna then the chip doesn't work. If your friend has this problem often, he should inspect his passport photo page very carefully against a bright light to check for cracks and get the passport replaced if it is cracked. UK Border officers get more and more obstructive the longer you use a broken Danish passport even if it's completely valid.

+1

UK/Ireland connections, for any passport holder, is indeed a separate little section of e-gate and counter.

KARFA

corporate-wage-slave

We are talking a low number of seconds here.

senor hamachi

Interesting! I had thought it odd that I always seem to get through slightly quicker with Registered Traveller and a US passport than those with UK passports do. Now I know why.

cvm0093

All Passports UK/EU/EEA can use any lane of the automatic machines as long as the passport has the chip logo on it. Very unlikely they would be separated unless it was one of those odd occasions on that day. That being said it would be very odd!

Upupintheair

Tried to use the e-gates at CDG last week and was informed it was only for French, German and I think Dutch and/or Belgian passport holders and the UK was directed to the kiosks. I thought this was very odd as I believe you only need the chip from any EU/EEA country. I did inform them that the UK was as yet still part of the EU

corporate-wage-slave

PARAFE needs pre-registration unless you have a recent French passport, but it is open to UK nationals.

Upupintheair

Well, this lady was adamant: no UK passport holders. I did seem to remember using the e-gates before, that is why I thought it was so odd but they did have little flags indicating which countries were allowed through (no UK flag). Not sure what PARAFE is?

corporate-wage-slave

Le passage rapide aux frontičres extérieures. E-gates in English. She is right that if you hadn't registered it wouldn't work, if you had registered then I doubt you would have been stopped. The easiest place to register is by exit door 10 on the departure level of CDG 2E.

Upupintheair

okay thanks., but that doesn't explain the flags....no UK or for that matter no majority of any other flags.

corporate-wage-slave

The UK is included in the EU flag (currently), the other flags are for EEA members who can also use PARAFE.

Upupintheair

hmmm, I am sure you are right but really do not remember seeing a EU flag (and France Germany and The Netherlands were there for sure), will check next time. Thanks for the information though, very useful.

Takiteasy

orbitmic

OT, but the flag is also shared by the Council of Europe (hence it being prominently used in Switzerland, Norway, several non-EU central European countries etc), so while you're absolutely right that on the PARAFE machines it is meant for the EU specifically, we would still be symbolically 'covered' afterwards somehow!

Also OT but Parafe went through successive phases of registration needed or unnecessary for various types of passports which may have confused the OP! At first refistration was necessary for all, then at one point it was necessary for French passports only but not a number of others, now it's more or less the opposite, etc. At one point you had to use finger prints then no, etc. One of the most obscure technological choices ever made IMHO!

Upupintheair

Ah thanks Takeiteasy, I never managed to get to the machine and was referring to the flags at the entrance of the e-gates area. Never got past this as I was referred to the kiosk. Learn something every day here!