The way non-EU citizens travel in and out of the bloc will change from Sunday, when a long-delayed new biometric entry check system goes into operation.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) will require all non-EU citizens to register their personal data, including fingerprints and facial images, upon first entry into the Schengen area. The Schengen area includes all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Data collection will be gradually introduced at border crossings, with full implementation planned by April 10, 2026, with the EU wanting to ensure that there will be no long queues at the borders.
Why is the EU introducing changes?
The new electronic system will eliminate the need for manual stamping of passports at the EU's external borders and will instead create digital records that link a travel document to a person's identity using biometric data.
The European Union's goal is to modernize the management of its external borders, prevent illegal migration, combat identity theft, and identify overstayers.
The system will monitor whether people travelling to the EU without a visa respect the rule of a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period.
What will happen?
Everyone arriving in the Schengen area for the first time will have to scan their passport, register fingerprints and provide a facial scan.
Upon exit, the passenger's data will be checked in the EES database to confirm compliance with existing rules on time limits for stay and to register departure. For subsequent trips, only biometric facial verification will be required.
Children under 12 years of age will also have to be registered in the EES, but only their photograph will be taken. Passengers do not have to pay for registration in the EES system.
Where will the checks be carried out?
Checks will be carried out upon arrival at international airports, ports, railway terminals and road border crossings in the Schengen area.
As the EES system is being introduced gradually, the EU is confident that there will be no significant disruptions. Border officers will be able to temporarily suspend checks if processing times become too long.
The British government, however, has advised passengers to plan more time for their journeys as the new EU systems are put in place, while the British Road Haulage Association has warned that there could be longer waits during peak periods.
The big test for the system will be the Easter holidays in 2026 and the summer season, when many families will travel for the first time since the introduction of the EES.
New changes in 2026.
The EES system is a prelude to another system that should become operational by the end of 2026 - the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
Non-Schengen citizens will then need to apply for an ETIAS authorisation, provide personal data and details of their trip, and pay a fee of €20 before travelling. The authorisation will be valid for three years or until the expiry of the passport - whichever comes first.
Since April this year, European visitors traveling to the UK must purchase an electronic entry permit in advance.
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