The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border control system for non-EU travellers, is scheduled to launch in 2025 after years of delays.
The EES will automate the registration of non-EU travellers entering and exiting the Schengen Area. It applies to short-term visitors, such as tourists and business travellers, who stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period. UK citizens and other non-EU nationals without visas will need to scan their passports and provide biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, at self-service kiosks. These biometrics will remain valid for three years.
The system aims to enhance border security by tracking overstays and improving the efficiency of entry and exit processes. It will operate in all Schengen Area countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as in non-EU Schengen members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The EES has faced multiple setbacks due to IT issues, the need for extensive infrastructure upgrades at borders, and readiness concerns from key countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Initially planned for 2022, the system’s launch has been postponed four times.
The system will begin with a gradual rollout, functioning at 10% of border crossings on day one. During this period, passports will still be stamped manually alongside digital registration. The EES is expected to be fully operational within six months.
Following the EES, travellers aged 16 to 70 will also need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a €7 visa-waiver valid for three years.
