After years of planning and several delays, the The European Union’s Entry-Exit System (EES). quietly went live this month – marking a major change in the way non-EU travelers are processed at the border. The rollout, which started on October 12replaces passport stamps with one digital registration of inputs and outputsincluding fingerprints and facial images.
In practice this means that travelers are out non-EU and non-Schengen countriessuch as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia, will now have their biometric data recorded when they first enter the Schengen area. Border controls are now taking longer at several key points of entry, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol and the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais.
Officials describe the system as a tool to improve safety and automate overstay alerts, but travelers are warned expect delays during the first months of implementation. The European Travel Commission acknowledged this week that “technical teething problems and longer queues” are likely as border guards adapt to the new technology.
In the meantime, ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorization System — is not yet in force. Despite widespread online confusion, the EU has confirmed that ETIAS, the prior travel authorization required for visa-exempt visitors, will not start until the end of 2026. For now, no traveler should pay or apply for ETIAS through unofficial websites that falsely claim to offer registration services.
For trips planned in October and November 2025, travelers are advised to do so arrive early at airports, ferry ports and Eurostar terminals and take care of them passports are machine readable and valid for at least three months after departure. Once registered in the EES database, future crossings should be significantly faster.
The European Commission says it will closely monitor the rollout until the end of the year, with additional training and software updates expected before the Christmas travel peak.
Sources: European Commission | SchengenVisaInfo | BBC news
