French Embassies Warn Against Fraudulent Websites Offering EES & ETIAS Services

The French embassies in a number of foreign countries, including Pakistan, Uruguay, and Brazil, among others, have issued a warning, urging everyone to beware of Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) fraudulent websites.

Such a warning from the embassies comes after a number of sites are falsely claiming to offer services for EES and ETIAS without the systems being implemented yet and without being authorised to do so, Schengen.News reports. 

According to the Embassy of France in Pakistan, scammers are taking advantage of those who are not well-informed about the systems and asking for large amounts of money to secure the documents for them. 

However, since the two systems are not yet up and running, no document can be issued. Moreover, even after the systems are functional, documents are only issued via the official websites. 

To make sure that foreign nationals do not fall prey to these scams and have their personal information and money stolen, the Embassy recommended that everyone stay away from these websites.

The Embassy further explained that as soon as the date of implementation is decided, all the needed information will be provided to foreign nationals.

What Is the EES & ETIAS? 
The EES is an automated IT system that will replace manual passport stamping. The aim of this new system is to modernise border controls. 

As soon as the EES is implemented, all non-EU nationals, regardless of whether they need a visa to enter the Schengen Area or not, will be required to register in the system by providing their biometric information, among others. 

The data will be stored in a safe database for three years. This means that once the registration is completed, non-EU nationals will only have to undergo verification when entering the bloc until the time to update their information comes. 

The EES was set to launch in November of last year, but its launch date has been delayed to 2025. 

On the other hand, the ETIAS will be a mandatory requirement only for nationals of countries permitted visa-free entry into the territory of the EU. 

The ETIAS will be linked to the traveller’s passport and will remain effective for three years or until the passport of the traveller expires, whichever is earlier. 

The applications for the ETIAS will be online and the document will cost €7. The ETIAS is expected to come into effect after the EES, more likely in 2026.

Source: https://schengen.news/french-embassies-warn-against-fraudulent-websites-offering-ees-etias-services/