- Europe's new travel system requires fingerprint scans and personal information from travelers entering Europe.
- Countries can choose where they first want to implement the system.
- Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting in the entry/exit system.
As of Sunday, travelers entering Europe will now have to scan their fingerprints and submit personal information, but the system isn’t in place everywhere yet.
The rollout of Europe’s new entry/exit system started on Sunday and will continue gradually over the next six months. The system will eventually replace passport stamping at all entry points to Europe’s Schengen Area.
This process is also part of a broad effort by the European Union to secure its borders, it will also help make traveling smoother and safer.
Here’s a look at some things that you need to know about the new system.
Where will it be implemented first?
As the progressive rollout of the new system begins, EU countries will get to choose when and where to start deploying the system at their border crossing. Because of this, it is unclear where exactly the entry/exit system will be in place at first.
The only requirements for individual countries are: by 30 days in, countries must be registering 10% of travelers; at 90 days, they should be registering 35%; and then they should reach 50% of travelers at 150 days, according to CNN.
On Oct. 12, each EU country needed to have the system operational for at least one border crossing point.
The gradual introduction of the system is meant to help travelers, border authorities and the transport industry adapt smoothly to the new procedures, per the European Commission.
On April 10, 2026, the system will be fully operational at all border security checkpoints at ports, airports and land crossings.
Those who refuse to comply with the requirements of the system will be denied entry.
How does the system work?
For non-European travelers entering the EU, the system will require them to have their passport data, biometric data (a photo and fingerprints), and information on when they enter and exit the area registered into the system, per the European Commission.
The registration process will be done during a traveler’s first entry and at their first exit. After that, only a fast verification will be needed at each subsequent entry and exit.
According to the European Commission, the system meets the highest standards of data protection and privacy.
Regardless of nationality, children under 12 will not be fingerprinted.
Passports will continue to be stamped until next April and travelers will still need to carry passports after the system is fully in place.
The data recorded through the system will be retained for three years after a traveler departs the area.
What is the goal of the system?
The two goals of the entry/exit system are to reduce crime and illegal cross-border movement, as well as to make sure visitors are not overstaying their welcome.
“Strengthening the EU’s common borders is a key priority for the Commission. With the entry into force of the new Entry/Exit System, border control will become not only more secure, but more efficient and convenient for all people coming in and out of the EU,” reads a release from the European Commission.
These changes are a part of a larger effort to increase security within the Schengen Area, a group of countries that allows people in the zone to travel across borders freely without going through customs checks, per CBS News.
The EU has been working on this system for nearly a decade, and it was originally intended to begin in 2022, per the Financial Times.
As well as improving security, the system will make border checks more efficient and make it easier to enforce visa rules.
What countries will be using the new system?
The EES system will be in place in the 29 Schengen Area countries that share border controls. This includes all EU countries except for Cyprus and Ireland, and four countries that aren’t EU members: Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, per The Register.
Here are the 29 countries where the system will be in place, per CBS News.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland