EU Introduces New System at Its External Borders

This Sunday, the European Union is launching a new Entry-Exit System (EES) to register travelers arriving in and departing from Europe.

The new system replaces traditional passport stamps: now, fingerprints and facial images will be registered using scanners at airports, ports, and train stations across the continent.

The system is designed to register all entries and exits of non-EU citizens making short-term trips (90 days within any 180-day period). This will allow authorities to track overstays and automatically deny entry.

The main goal of the new system is to strengthen border security, reduce document fraud, and monitor visitors’ compliance with their authorized length of stay.

“This system will help border guards verify that the passport holder is indeed its owner and that the passport is genuine, not a fake,” says right-wing MEP Assita Kanko, who oversaw the negotiations on behalf of the European Parliament.

What will happen starting October 12?

Beginning this Sunday, travelers arriving from abroad in all EU countries, except for non-Schengen members Cyprus and Ireland, will have to present their passports. At border checkpoints, their fingerprints will be taken and their photos captured.

This information will also be required upon arrival in non-EU Schengen countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. In most cases, this data will be stored for three years.

The data is collected upon the first entry after the system is implemented and will be used on future trips to verify identity against the database. According to the European Commission, this process will take less time. The system will be phased in over six months, until April 10, 2026.

Major European countries like France and Germany will start with a limited number of checks to avoid long lines at airports. Smaller countries, such as Estonia and Luxembourg, are implementing the system in full from the start.

In other countries, the rollout will be gradual: for example, in Croatia, biometric data collection will increase over time—from four hours a day initially to 12 hours a day starting next December.

Slovenian police will gradually introduce the system at Schengen entry points, which include three international airports and two maritime border crossings. These changes will also affect visitors from countries with visa-free entry to Europe, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and most South American countries.

In countries neighboring the EU, such as accession candidates Albania and North Macedonia, citizens need to be warned to familiarize themselves with the changes to avoid unnecessary delays.

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Will there be delays?

There are concerns that collecting this new data could lead to long lines at airports and train stations. Belgian MEP Kanko explained: “As is always the case with the implementation of new major IT systems, there may be some difficulties. But that is precisely why the system is being launched during the low tourist season. A gradual rollout was also agreed upon to avoid major problems.”

She added: “In the event of unforeseen problems or long waits, local border guards can temporarily suspend the use of the system to manage the situation.” The French Ministry of the Interior expressed optimism about the new system, stating that it expects a “normal situation, without congestion problems.”

However, the ministry noted that the full implementation of the system poses a “serious challenge” for France, which is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, having welcomed 100 million foreign visitors in 2024.

Travelers from the UK are expected to be among the most affected by the new system, given the close transportation links between the UK and the EU. However, operators like the company responsible for the Channel Tunnel have expressed confidence that everything will go smoothly.

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