European Economic and Security Region Prepares to Launch One of the Most Important Technological Systems in the Field of Travel and Borders
The new European Entry/Exit System (EES) will come into effect on October 12, 2025, marking a radical transformation in the way non-EU travelers enter and exit the Schengen area. This system aims to accelerate passage procedures and strengthen security, while gradually eliminating the need for manual passport stamps. The new device concerns 25 of the 27 European Union countries, in addition to Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. It will digitally record the entries and exits of non-European visitors at each border crossing point. Ireland and Cyprus will continue, for the time being, to use traditional manual inspection methods. The system does not include other European countries such as the United Kingdom, Turkey, Serbia, or Albania. According to the new regulation, travelers will not need to register in advance. Their biometric data will be collected upon their first entry into the Schengen area after the system is activated. This data will include fingerprints of four fingers and a digital facial photo, which will then be used to facilitate entry and exit procedures via electronic gates. The application of the system will be progressive over six months for full implementation starting from April 10, 2026. Biometric data will be stored in accordance with the standards of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The goal of the EES system is to replace manual passport stamps with an integrated digital system, thus facilitating control of the legal stay period and preventing overstay of the authorized period for visa-exempt travelers. It also aims to strengthen border security through more accurate tracking of entries and exits and prevention of the use of falsified identities or abuse of visa exemption systems. This system comes ahead of the launch of a larger project, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which is scheduled to come into effect in the last quarter of 2026, after several delays since its initial launch planned for 2020.
