“The EES system will gradually replace passport stamping with a digital system that automatically records the entry and exit of travelers, speeding up border controls and helping employees be more efficient,” the EU’s official website says.
The European Union is preparing to replace passport stamping with a new digital border management system, which is expected to gradually come into force from Sunday, October 12. Australian and other non-EU citizens travelling to Europe could face the new biometric entry/exit system (EES). Although there may be delays at first, the system aims to simplify and speed up border procedures.
HOW WILL BORDER CONTROLS CHANGE IN THE EU?
All non-European citizens travelling to the Schengen area, which includes 29 countries, of which 25 are part of the EU and four others such as Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, will be registered through the new digital system. Ireland and Cyprus will continue with manual passport control procedures. The United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen area. Instead of stamps in passports, the EES system will record travellers’ biometric data such as face and fingerprints as well as dates of entry and exit.
“The EES system will gradually replace the stamping of passports with a digital system that automatically records the entry and exit of travelers, speeding up border controls and helping employees be more efficient,” the EU’s official website says. The system also aims to help prevent irregular migration and strengthen security by giving border authorities more access to traveler information.
WHEN WILL IMPLEMENTATION START?
The implementation of the system starts this weekend, but will be a gradual process. It is expected that the EES will be fully operational by April 10, 2026.
WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE CHANGE?
All travellers who do not hold an EU passport and who travel for short stays in the Schengen area will be registered in the EES system. The service will be free of charge. A short stay is considered to be up to 90 days within a 180-day period, and this period is counted for all EES participating countries as a whole. If travellers use the electronic self-service systems at border crossings or the mobile application (if offered by the host country), the border crossing will be faster.
WHAT SHOULD TRAVELERS DO?
Upon arrival, travelers must answer standard Schengen border code questions, which will create a digital profile that is stored for three years. Within that period, only fingerprints or a photograph will be used for subsequent entry. The Australian government’s official travel website, Smartraveller, warns that there may be longer queues at the border at first: “The registration process only takes a few minutes, but there may be delays at the beginning of the implementation.”
STAYING FOR MORE THAN 90 DAYS?
Australia has visa waiver agreements with several Schengen countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Each of these countries has its own rules for extended stays. Therefore, travelers planning to stay longer than 90 days should check the specific conditions of the respective country.