International travelers heading to Europe should prepare for a major change in how borders are managed. The European Union has agreed to introduce the Entry/Exit System (EES) through a phased rollout over six months, starting once an official launch date is set by the European Commission. This system will replace traditional passport stamping with digital biometric checks, including facial scans and fingerprints, for all non-EU nationals entering or exiting the 29 Schengen countries.
The EES aims to modernize border control by digitally recording each entry and exit, helping prevent identity fraud and track the 90-day limit in any 180-day period that applies to short-stay visitors. Rather than launching all at once, the system will be introduced gradually to avoid overwhelming border control infrastructure.
Countries participating in the system include most Schengen members like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, as well as others like Bulgaria, Romania, and Switzerland. Ireland and Cyprus will not be part of this system and will continue to use traditional passport stamps.
During the transition, the rollout will start with a small percentage of border points using the new system without requiring biometrics. Over the months, more checkpoints will adopt EES fully, with at least 35% of borders using biometrics by the third month. By the sixth month, all participating border crossings will use the system. Manual stamping will still be in place throughout this transition to support the changeover.
For travelers, this means each entry into the Schengen Zone will be logged and counted automatically, so trips for tourism, business, or study will all add up toward the allowed 90 days within any 180-day period. Employers should be aware that personal travel could impact their employees’ eligibility for business visits later, so tracking travel days accurately becomes essential.
In certain cases, countries can temporarily suspend EES if there are long queues or high traffic, with limited pauses of up to six hours allowed.
The rollout is not yet active. The countdown will begin once the European Commission confirms the official start date, which has yet to be announced. If you plan to visit Europe in 2025 or 2026, it’s worth staying informed, as this system will significantly affect how travel is managed across the region.
