When I registered, I was told it would be active immediately, and it worked that day (or the next). I had a couple of trips were it didn't work, so next chance I had to go by the office, they verified I was in the system. They said U.S. passports must be placed on the reader in a very specific way to read the info as it is in a slightly different location on the European passports. I have used it successfully (most recently at MUC). You just have to get the page properly aligned and be patient for it to be read. I hope this helps.

I am flying to Berlin this summer and want to enrol in EasyPass-RTP? Anyone done it at Berlin before and know specifically where I can find it besides what the website says? (I am flying LH for reference).

Just bring this form filled out? https://www.easypass.de/EasyPass/EN/...ationFile&v=11

Have an American passport.

​​​​​​​It was quite simple and easy in Berlin. After you exit airside, head upstairs to departures from the arrival level. Above the departures level there is a mezzanine level, with a Starbucks. To get there you need to walk towards the security checkpoint and either take the stairs or the elevator. Once you're on the mezzanine level, head to the left where there will be signs for customs and police. You want to walk into the police office.

They're often sitting in the adjacent room, so be patient and cough to politely make your presence known. They'll want your passport and the completed form. Make sure you've signed the form. Note that it took a few weeks for it to be activated for me. I had some difficulty using to exit in Frankfurt a couple weeks after I had filed the paperwork but it then worked when I returned a couple weeks later. YMMV

Success report: I scanned my US passport successfully last week at the midfield Immigration area in Terminal 1, Concourse B. Since I have been reading this thread, I knew to not push my passport too far into the scanner! Worked the first time. A Security person standing at the entrance to Immigration tried to direct me the the Non-EU Passports line, but I told her I had EasyPass and she let me go to the EasyPass gates...

I've had the same thing happen to me in FRA - when they see the US Passport, they want to redirect to the non-EU line.

Easypass has been expanded to include foreigners resident in Germany with a residence permit or 'D' visa:

https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/74262/5550060

Re-enrollment due to EES
 

Has anyone tried using the gates post July 3, 2023? I shared the easypass site with a friend and noticed that they may require re-enrollment? I’m not sure if there’s any grace period where existing registrations can work?

+++++ Attention - important notice +++++
With the introduction of the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), the framework conditions for the EasyPASS Registered Traveller Programme (RTP) are changing. Therefore, re-registration of existing participants is generally required at this time.
Participants from the Republic of Korea and Taiwan are exempt from this, as the reciprocity agreements as well as the participation examinations already take the corresponding contents into account. Participants from the United States of America and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China can re-register at a Federal Police registration office at EasyPASS locations as early as 3 July 2023. This allows users to continue enjoying the benefits of participating in EasyPASS-RTP without interruption with the introduction of the EES.

I used it for entry at BER last week with no issues.

I take this to mean that re-registration can be done anytime between now and the introduction of the EES. That might be the end of the year, if there are no further delays. Once the EES goes live, anyone who hasn't yet re-registered might not be able to use EasyPass at that point.

FYI, I re-registered for EasyPassRTP yesterday per the latest EES updates and was told that registration is good for 1 year and you can re-register within 90 days of expiry. I wouldn't have bothered if I knew it was only good for a year.

I'm planning to fly into FRA in a few weeks for a layover, then another flight to a schengen area city. I have a 3hr layover and wanted to register for Easypass RTP, do i have to exit to land-side to find the bundespolizei? Or is it accessible from the airside?

It's landside.

If you follow the signs to the B station for the SkyTrain it's on the mezzanine level that you reach with the first escalators.

​​​​​

Great, thanks! Is a 3hr layover (coming internationally, continuing within Schengen) long enough to exit, visit the BP, then re-enter through security?

Flying into MUC on LH411 expecting to arrive at ~8:30am local time.

Flying out on LH1734 boarding time is listed as 10:10am out of gate H. Flying in J if it matters.

Is the roughly 100 minutes enough time to deplane, go landside, register for Easypass, re-clear security and get to the departure gate?

​​​​​​Turns out it's not possible.

The federal police office to register is not in room 4479

I estimate needing 4 hrs layover

4hrs? What would make it take that long?

The longest part for me was waiting in line - there were about 4-5 people in front of me the day I was there. The process itself takes 2-5 minutes. Really quick. I did it either upon arrival or departure. If doing it on a layover, the only risk is getting back through passport control and security (but you'll get through passport control faster!). Just my experince.

Tried in MUC with no success in August (after D visa expired and I was visiting as a tourist). Just tried once and quickly before the Non EU line got packed. As it regards to the regulations of D visa holders using EASYPASS, I was not one of them, as I had a Schengen D visa from a different country. When leaving via CPH (manual desk/Non EU) the officer said my chip was not working - does anyone know if this plays a role in the EASYPASS gates? Next time I am in Frankfurt I will try to sort it out.

Chip not working is a show stopper.

The photo they are matching in the gate comes from the chip.

Well, that explains it. My issue was the first set of gates - is that also where the chip is used? Appreciate the response!

It scans the data page and reads the chip at the same time.

This information does not appear to be correct, the EasyPass website says it's tied to the passport:

Well, that’s what I was told as I finished my registration. Normal us passport.

The website is not really clear, however the current version of the application is pretty explicit. The document is located at https://www.easypass.de/EasyPass/EN/...cationFile&v=2

Look at the section entitled "Duration of Participation and Retention Periods"

It is very clear. After EES is in operation, EasyPASS RTP continues for a maximum of one year, subject to extentions.

Shrug. I went to the BuPo yesterday at Munich airport, and asked to re-register based on the easypass.de notice saying that it is required.

The nice team of police looked up my registration, and said it’s valid through the expiration of my passport. I asked if the rules were changing to 1 year, and the answer was a very clear no. I showed them (in German) the text saying re-registration was required, the guy looked up my passport, and said “no, you are valid though 2027, only non-residents are required to re-register”

This appear to be in conflict with the above mentioned PDF, which is in conflict with the text on the website, which is different than what the guys behind the counter said. In their defense, they said the rules are new (note: it’s October, and the rules went into effect in July, so … not really), so it’s unclear what will really happen next year when Entry-Exit kicks in. I guess I am going to end up getting into an argument with someone on a flight back to Europe with my US passport and resident permit.

For what it’s worth, I am a German resident, he did say that if I want to register for Entry Exit, this could not be done with the BuPo, but rather with the foreigners office at the competent authority (somewhat of an oxymoron, but it is what it is). For the city of Munich, it’s the KVR. I have less hopes of the Ausländerbehörde knowing anything about Easypass-RTP.

I think this is the key point and why you are not actually travelling under the RTP program anymore.

Earlier this year EasyPass was updated to handle foreign passports of German permanent residents.

I myself have now used EasyPass for exit and entry over four trips in the last two months despite travelling on Australian passport and having never registered for RTP (I wouldn't even qualify for it).

https://www.easypass.de/EasyPass/EN/...PASS_node.html


​​​​​

Sigh, was not informed of this…and mine has expired now…great, needed to use it in a few days. I could have renewed it this summer :(

How do you get to the EasyPass Registration Office in MUC? Room 4479 as explained in the EasyPass instructions did not have the registration office.

How do I find the BuPo office in MUC? I figured it's Landside, but not really sure where to go.

It took me 40 minutes to get landside, about 80 minutes getting lost trying to find the BuPo office, and I left myself a 90 minute buffer to re-clear security and passport control to catch my onward flight.

Its in the courtyard in front of the T2, one level above where you come out.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/K3F8iPrbN9gvneYU7

Its above the left 'EDEKA' sign on this picture.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...33ceed20ba.png

I tried to use the electronic gates upon departing FRA for a non-Schengen a couple weeks before Christmas with a biometric passport and permanent residence permit, and the machine wouldn't accept it.

So I went to the manual queue. The officer said "you know you can use the gates". "I know, and it showed me an X and didn't work, so here I am......" :confused:

Does anybody know if EasyPass eligiblity will be expanded?
The current eligibility is very small with just USA, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. I read online Germany does this on a reciprical basis with other countries which allow German passport expedited entry.
However UK, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand are Non-EEA countries which allow German citizens to use fast track E-Gates. Why does Germany not add these nations then to their list?
Unlike the RTP-NL scheme in the Netherlands that just never happened, Germany actually does have a scheme set up so to restrict it to such a handful of nationalities seems unnecessary.
Thoughts?

I signed up last year with a US passport but yet have to manage to get the gates to work. It just won’t clear my passport, so I have to see a gate agent every time.

Have you tried going back to the office where you originally signed up?

My SO is in the same boat. The gates let her *in*, but 9 times out of 10, she's stuck between two doors until an officer sees her and manually opens the door. 2 weeks ago in Frankfurt it miraculously worked, last week in Munich, it didn't. She asked if she needs to do anything else, they told her "no, you're fully in the system", so not sure what's wrong then.

Is it SOP that officers must manually open up the 2nd door for 3rd country nationals with EasyPass?

I haven't used since COVID but unless things have changed, the 2nd gate is NOT suppose to open for non-Schengen passports even if enrolled in RTP. The officer is supposed to trigger the 2nd gate for traveler to proceed to the officer for the entry/exit stamp.

Current instructions state the same - https://www.easypass.de/EasyPass/EN/.../rtp_node.html

Ah, that explains it! I guess some officers are more alert than others then, because sometimes the 2nd gate just opens immediately, and sometimes she has to wave and jump for someone to see her 🤣

When this was initially available for non-Schengen passports (well before COVID), border police officers were all over the place. Some weren't sure why I was waving at them after going thru the 1st gate. One even came out of their booth to see what's wrong so I had to educate them they were suppose to open it remotely and stamp my passport but I suspect he might be new to the force; very young kid. :)

I haven’t been back to that airport and won’t be for a while. I’ll be at a different airport soon and will see if I can stop by their office.