From 12 October 2025, the European Union will begin a gradual rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES), a new digital border system designed to monitor non-EU nationals who are travelling to countries within the Schengen area for short stays.
The countries in the Schengen area are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The EES is expected to be fully implemented by 10 April 2026 and this new automated system will replace the current practice of manually stamping and checking passports when visitors arrive in the Schengen area.
Purpose of the EES
The EES is designed to enhance and strengthen border management and security within the Schengen area. It will also enable the timely identification of non-EU national visitors within the Schengen area, with their entries and exits being recorded and monitored to ensure that they comply with the requirement of spending no more than 90 days in every 180 days within the Schengen area.
Additionally, the automated system aims to provide a more streamlined experience for travellers entering the Schengen area, reducing waiting times at passport control and enhancing border efficiency.
First entry into a Schengen area country post-12 October 2025
After the EES is introduced, non-EU national visitors may be required to complete an EES registration process on their first entry to a Schengen area country. This involves submitting fingerprints and having a photo taken at dedicated booths. The process is completed upon arrival, so there is no need to provide any information before travelling to the Schengen area. Additionally, it may be necessary to provide a fingerprint or photo when leaving the Schengen area.
First EES registration may result in a short delay for non-EU nationals on their first entry to a country within the Schengen area following 12 October.
EES registration will create a digital EES record, which will be valid for three years. During this three-year period, non-EU national visitors will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border when entering and exiting the Schengen area.
Please note that it is necessary to hold a biometric passport to use eGates, so manual checks will continue for travellers who do not hold a biometric passport.
Children
All non-EU national children are subject to EES registration and may be required to complete the EES registration process when they first arrive in a Schengen area country on or after 12 October 2025.
Children under 12 years old will only have their photograph taken during the EES registration process.
Children over the age of 12 will be required to provide fingerprints and have a photo taken at dedicated booths on first entry, just like adults.
What can you expect in the coming months?
Over the coming months, the EES will be gradually introduced at external borders of Schengen area countries in an effort to begin the biometric data collection of travellers. Accordingly, if your biometric data has been collected and registered on the system before the rollout on 12 October 2025, you may not be required to complete the EES registration process when the EES is introduced.
Pending full implementation of the EES, passport checking and stamping will continue as usual. Consequently, travellers may experience different entry procedures while the implementation process is ongoing until the EES is fully implemented (expected by 10 April 2026).
Finally, it should also be noted that, distinct from the EES rollout, there will be a subsequent launch of a new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), scheduled to be introduced in the final quarter of 2026. This is a new pre-travel screening requirement for citizens of countries that do not require a visa to enter the Schengen area. The ETIAS will be similar to the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), whereby visitors will be required to apply for travel authorisation before travelling to the Schengen area. Importantly, the ETIAS is not a visa; it merely authorises you to travel to the Schengen area. Upon arrival, visitors will continue to be subject to the Schengen rules and must not spend more than 90 days in every 180-day period within the Schengen area.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
