Eurostar passengers require a valid passport or identity card. You will pass through UK, French, Dutch or Belgian customs depending on the journey you are undertaking.
People Also Ask
Your passport will be checked by UKBA security staff before being checked by French passport control. This will only take a few minutes.
Until two years ago, passengers could just show their passports for often quick checks, but since 2021, after Britain left the European Union, British travelers in both directions have been required to get their passports stamped.
Do I need to enter my passport details when I book? (API) No, but do bring your passport when you travel as it'll be checked by UK and French authorities before you board....
The security check is similar to what happens at an airport with all luggage going through the x-ray machine (so you have to be able to lift it!), and passengers walking through a metal detector.
All passengers boarding at any station to use Eurostar trains will have their luggage scanned. It's similar to scanning at airports but with importance differences. You can take more things on a Eurostar than you can on aircraft.
Passport checks used to be carried on the international Eurostar train, but all formalities are now carried out before boarding. At some border crossings, the train stops twice. First on one side of the border for checks and then on the other side for a second set of checks.
Make your journey from St Pancras International that little bit more seamless with our facial verification technology. From July 2023, SmartCheck will allow you to use the dedicated lane without scanning your ticket. You then only need your passport checked once before entering the departure lounge.
Travel by train between London and Paris does not typically involve a passport check at the border. Passport checks are generally conducted when crossing international borders, but there is no border check between the United Kingdom and France as they are both part of the European Union's (EU) Schengen Area.
To travel on Eurostar you need either a valid passport or a national identity card (EEA citizens and Swiss nationals). Babies and children must have their own valid travel documents.
How long does the Eurostar check-in take? The check-in procedure for Eurostar train journeys takes roughly 20 minutes from start to finish, and depending on the class you're travelling in, it's recommended that you arrive at least 90 minutes before your Eurostar train leaves.
There are usually sniffer dogs (with handlers) milling about. They're quite friendly but alert to dangerous substances and drugs so don't even think about it.
Only Immigration Control takes place at the station where you depart. When travelling from Paris or Brussels to London on the Eurostar, you pass through UK Customs on arrival at St Pancras. You walk through the Customs Inspection area.
Whether arriving at an airport, ferry port, or Eurotunnel station, British citizens arriving in France will no longer be able to use the passport control lanes reserved for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. There are also additional documents that you will need to show when you arrive at border control.
To ensure you have enough time for all pre-departure steps, please come to the station at the recommended time and not just before the gates close. All of our border and luggage checks take place before you depart, which means you can simply hop off the train when you arrive.
Passport control is a totally separate process, and passport control only wants to see passports. On board Eurostar, staff don't check tickets (because you've already scanned yours in to get entry to the departure lounge and platforms), let alone ask names.