Vacationers to sure European international locations will quickly expertise a brand new border management course of as Europe’s long-awaited new Entry/Exit System, or EES, will start its rollout this fall. The launch of the system, which is able to use biometric information to register the visits of non-European Union vacationers, has been delayed a number of instances because it was initially anticipated to start in 2021.
The EES is necessary for all non-EU nationals, and you can not choose out of getting your biometric information captured. In case you refuse, you can be denied entry.
What’s the EES?
The EES is an automatic info expertise system designed to register non-EU nationals touring for a brief keep to any of the 29 international locations utilizing the system. A “brief keep” is outlined as as much as 90 days inside any 180-day interval for all of the European international locations utilizing the EES. One of many system’s major capabilities is to establish those that overstay the allotted time.
“The EES modernises border administration by growing effectivity and high quality of processes on the border. It additionally simplifies journey and makes it safer,” in keeping with the official web site of the European Union.
The international locations utilizing the system 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.
EES international locations embrace 25 of the 27 EU member states, with solely Cyprus and Eire not taking part. These international locations will proceed to carry out handbook border passport checks. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are non-EU international locations, however they’re members of the Schengen Space and comply with the short-stay guidelines.
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When will it launch?
The system will launch in phases over a six-month interval. Starting Oct. 12, 2025, information assortment will step by step be launched at border crossing factors. It’s anticipated to be absolutely applied by April 10, 2026.
Throughout the rollout interval, vacationers might not have their biometric information collected at each border crossing or their private info registered within the system, and passports will proceed to be stamped as common.
How US vacationers will likely be affected
If you arrive at a border crossing level for the primary time after the EES begins, you’ll have to present your private information out of your passport, together with your full title and date of beginning. Passport management officers will scan 4 of your fingerprints and/or take a photograph of your face to be saved in a digital file often called the Biometric Matching Service. The fingerprints of kids underneath age 12 is not going to be scanned.
It’s unknown whether or not the rollout will trigger longer wait instances at borders whereas vacationers navigate the brand new system. It might be attainable to register a few of your information upfront utilizing a self-service system if it is out there at your border crossing level or a cellular app if the nation you are touring to has one. You’ll nonetheless must see a passport management officer.
The EES will monitor the date and placement of every entry and exit, together with whether or not you have been refused entry. Data of entries, exits and refusals will likely be stored for 3 years after which robotically erased. Vacationers can request entry to their information, request corrections and request that their information be deleted.
Backside line
The EES just isn’t the one change coming to European journey. The European Journey Info and Authorisation System continues to be anticipated to be applied for visa-free vacationers within the final quarter of 2026. Nonetheless, it has simply been introduced that the applying price will now be 20 euros (about $23), a rise from the initially introduced price of seven euros (about $8).
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