EU Entry/Exit System
EES
Q. What is the European Entry/Exit System?
A. The EES is a new system being introduced by the European Union which will affect passengers when they arrive at airports and seaports in the Schengen area. The scheme is being gradually rolled out across the EU over six months from 12 October.
Q. What is the Schengen area?
A. The Schengen area is a zone consisting of 29 European countries that have abolished passport and other types of border control to allow the free movement of people between them. It is made up of 25 EU member states (including the likes of France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain etc.) and four non-EU countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein).
Q. Who does the scheme apply to?
A. The EES applies to non-EU nationals (that includes people in the UK) who are travelling to an EU country for a short stay – up to 90 days within a 180-day period. It applies to people going ‘landside’ in the EU for ANY REASON. This includes transiting through an EU airport to catch a flight to another destination.
Q. How will it work?
A. When travellers arrive at an EU airport or seaport, the EES will register the person’s name, type of travel document (passport), biometric data (fingerprints and facial photographs), and the date and place of entry and exit.
When passengers first arrive at one of the listed countries (see bottom of this Q&A) after the EES is in place, they will need to register their details at a kiosk and answer some basic immigration questions.
Please note: Everyone will be required to give biometrics, including children. Children aged 12 and over need to give fingerprints. Babies will still need to have their photographs taken. EES biometrics will last (be stored for) three years.
However, if travellers are entering Europe through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone, or St Pancras International, EES checks will be completed before they leave the UK.
Q. Why is the scheme being introduced?
A. The scheme is being set up to eventually remove the need for passport stamping. It will collect data (date and place of entry) and show if a traveller has been refused entry to an EU country. The scheme should make it easier for the EU to spot overstaying visitors. Passport stamping is still expected in some countries until 10 April 2026, while the scheme is being rolled out.
Q. Will the rollout cause any disruption?
A. In short, yes. The Foreign Office at the UK Government has warned there may be longer waiting times than usual at the border once the system starts. Please note: During the phased implementation of EES over the initial six-month period, it is possible that customers may not be asked to provide biometrics. Every country will be working at a different pace.
Q. Will the scheme affect cruise passengers?
A. Yes, the scheme will affect cruise passengers – but it will all depend on the itinerary. Those arriving and departing from the UK will generally be exempt from EES registration, unless they disembark the cruise and travel onwards into the Schengen area.
The scheme is being rolled out in the following countries in the Schengen area…
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
- Manual passport stamping will continue to be used in Cyprus and Ireland.