Schengen Entry and Exit System (EES): What Travellers Need to Know
A Major Change at Europe’s Borders
Europe will launch its new Entry and Exit System (EES) on October 12, 2025, replacing traditional passport stamps entirely. The system will register every non-EU traveller entering or leaving the Schengen Area for short stays of up to ninety days.
By April 10, 2026, all twenty-nine participating countries will fully implement EES, completing Europe’s largest digital border modernisation project ever. Ireland and Cyprus remain outside the system, continuing with manual passport stamping for all travellers crossing their national borders.
Travellers should expect border processing to take between one and a half to three times longer during initial implementation phases.
What the EES Does and Who Must Register
EES automatically records travellers’ entry and exit data, storing photographs and fingerprints electronically for accurate monitoring of Schengen travel durations. It replaces passport stamps with a secure database entry that shows exactly when and where travellers entered or exited Schengen borders.
The system ensures travellers do not exceed their ninety-day limit within any rolling one-hundred-eighty-day Schengen travel period. Information remains stored for three years, or five years if travellers overstay or violate entry regulations during their visit.
All non-EU travellers entering for short stays must register, including both visa-exempt and visa-holding visitors to Schengen member states. Visa holders already have fingerprints stored in the Visa Information System, so their EES registration will only include a live photograph.
Visa-free travellers must provide a live photo and four fingerprints, recorded through airport kiosks or staffed border control stations. Children under twelve are exempt from fingerprinting but must still have a live facial image captured during registration.
EES registration is free, with no fees or online pre-enrollment options available for travellers before arriving at border checkpoints.
Implementation, Delays, and What to Expect
Travellers register through kiosks, staffed booths, or automated gates, depending on each airport or land border’s technological readiness level. First-time registration involves scanning passports, capturing a facial photo, and collecting fingerprints for visa-exempt travellers entering Schengen territory.
The system verifies details against existing databases like VIS and SIS, creating an individual electronic travel record for each visitor. Subsequent entries require only a quick facial scan and passport verification, dramatically reducing processing times for frequent travellers.
Initial registration may take longer, especially for families or travellers providing biometric data for the first time during busy travel seasons. If systems fail, border officers can temporarily revert to passport stamping and upload biometric data once systems resume normal operation.
Overstayers face fines, deportation, or re-entry bans lasting several years, depending on the severity and frequency of their violations. Their data remains stored for five years and shared across all participating member states through interconnected European databases.
Travellers should allow extra time at airports between October 2025 and April 2026 as the rollout gradually progresses. EES will later integrate with ETIAS, Europe’s new online pre-travel authorisation system launching in 2026 for visa-free travelers.
EES Summary Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | October 12, 2025 |
| Full Implementation | April 10, 2026 |
| Countries Participating | 29 Schengen states |
| Countries Not Participating | Ireland and Cyprus |
| Registration Required For | Non-EU travelers (visa-free and visa-required) |
| Exemptions | EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, residents, diplomats, crew, children under 12 |
| Biometrics Collected | Facial photograph and fingerprints (4 for visa-free travelers) |
| Data Storage Duration | 3 years (regular stays) / 5 years (overstays) |
| Expected Delays | Processing may take 1.5–3× longer initially |
| Integration with ETIAS | Planned for 2026 rollout |