EU to Launch Biometric Entry/Exit System from October 12

Starting October 12, 2025, all non-European Union (EU) citizens, including British visitors, will experience a major change in the way they enter and exit the Schengen area, as the long-delayed biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) comes into operation.

🔹 What is the Entry/Exit System (EES)?

• The EES is a new biometric registration system designed to record the entry and exit of non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen zone.
• It will replace manual passport stamping at EU borders.
• The system will create digital records linking a traveller’s identity to their travel document using biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images.

🔹 Countries Covered under the System

• Applies to all Schengen area countries, which include all EU nations except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

🔹 How the System Works

• Non-EU citizens will be required to register their personal details (fingerprints, facial image, and travel document information) when entering the Schengen area for the first time.
• The data collection process will be introduced gradually across border crossings.
• Full implementation is targeted for April 10, 2026.

🔹 Purpose and Benefits

• To streamline border control and reduce waiting times in the long term.
• To enhance security and help authorities monitor visa overstays and irregular migration.
• To digitize travel records and modernize border management.

🔹 Next Step: European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

• Following EES, the ETIAS system is expected to become operational in late 2026.
• Non-Schengen citizens will need to:
  • Apply for an ETIAS authorisation before travelling.
  • Provide personal details and trip information.
  • Pay a €20 fee.
• The ETIAS authorisation will remain valid for three years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever is earlier.