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The automated system for tracking border crossings in and out of the EU nations by visitors from non-member countries will finally roll out from October 2025.
The long delayed entry and exit system (EES), implemented to improve security, will now roll out on a phased basis instead of all in one go, as some countries are still not quite ready for the launch.
As part of the new system, most travellers from outside of the EU will be expected to register their passport details as well as their biometric data when crossing into the EU for the first time. That data is then held on record, and is used to check against various databases as an extra layer of security. It’s hoped that the EES will make entry and exit from EU countries faster and easier than the current manual checks and negate the need for passport stamps.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Entry/Exit System (EES)?
Under the EES, passengers will have to submit biometric data, including fingerprints.
The EES will track the entry and exit of “third-country nationals” into and out of the Schengen area, replacing the need for passport stamps. At present, eligible non-EU citizens are allowed to spend 90 days in any 180-day period in the EU without a visa; the EES will digitise travel records to ensure that this limit is not breached, while increasing border security.
What it means in practice is that when travellers visit any of the 29 countries where the EES will be in operation — 25 of the 27 EU nations, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland — for the first time, they will need to register their passport information and biometric data. The original proposal was that the system would require both fingerprints and a photograph, but this appears to have been watered down, with one of either now being collected instead.
Data will normally be stored on file for three years. If you refuse to supply it, you will be denied entry.
On subsequent visits, travellers’ information will be checked at the point of entry and exit against these details, including one piece of biometric data, likely a facial scan. Only in rare cases, says the EU, will data be collected again.
Note that the EES will not be used in Ireland or Cyprus, where manual checks will continue to take place.
This process will happen at EU borders, which for most travellers will be on arrival at an airport. However, there are a handful of places on British soil where “juxtaposed” EU controls apply: these are the Dover ferry port, London St Pancras for Eurostar passengers and Folkestone for LeShuttle services. Passengers travelling through these ports will register their details through the EES before departure.
An app being developed by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will allow travellers to register their details before departure, though fingerprints will still need to be taken at EU borders. The app is not expected to be rolled out before the prospective EES launch date.
When is the EES start date?
The planned launch is October 2025 and the European Union will reveal the exact start date of the EES closer to the time. However, not all of the countries where the EES is required will be rolling out the system at the same time due to delays. Instead, the rollout will take place on a phased basis from October 2025, with all countries required to be onboard within six months.
Where is the EES required?
The EES will be in place for 25 of the 27 EU member states — Ireland and Cyprus will continue with manual checks — as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, as they’re part of the border-free Schengen area.
