The new Exit/Entry System (EES): how it changes travel in Europe

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is now fully operational across all 29 Schengen countries. From April 2026 onwards, every non-EU national travelling for a short stay will be registered biometrically at the border, and passport stamps are officially a thing of the past.

In this article you are about to learn everything you need to know about this new system, including exactly how it works, how it will affect immigration, and all the changes you will experience as a traveler when visiting any EU country.

 

What is the entry-exit system or EES?

 

The European Entry Exit System (or EES) is the new process by which third-country travelers crossing EU external borders will have to go through in the near future.

But what does that exactly mean?

Basically, it means that all countries part of the Schengen Area will equip their border crossing points with a system looking like a self-service kiosk (or any other related border control unit) that will check all the required data from the traveler and digitize it.

And when we say border, we are talking about air, sea, and land.

And who exactly will be affected by this system?

All non-EU citizens (including those who must apply for a short-stay visa but also those who don’t, thanks to an agreement), have to be registered through this system upon entry.

There are several advantages of the European Entry-Exit System, and its aim is twofold.

On the one hand, it was created to protect and strengthen the European or Schengen borders (preventing irregular migration, as we will see in the next section, and by detecting fake IDs and passports).

And, on the other, it speeds up border crossing and reduces queuing time, allowing identified travelers to enter the country faster while having border officials just spend time on those who require it.

Among all, maybe one of the most important novelties this measure brings along is that it completely eliminates the physical stamp on your passport when traveling. 

Make sure to read until the end to fully understand the important consequences of this.

 

 

How does the EES work?

 

Up till now, when checking a specific traveler entering the Schengen Area, we had the data and documents from one side, and then an officer manually checked that the physical person who arrived at the airport matched that data and those documents.

With an Entry/Exit System, technology replaces the border official and validates the match between traveler and documents/data faster and easier for all parties involved.

To exemplify the increased efficiency of this measure, the US has been able to reduce up to 400% of the time that it took an official border official to register biometric data (fingerprints + photo of traveler), by installing self-service kiosks in which the traveler took this data by herself.

Moving on to the intricacies of its operations, there are two main blocks behind the whole system:

• At the European level, a shared biometric matching system (acting as a big database that all countries can access)
• At the national level, an entry and exit system used by each country

All this data registered by each country will be sent to a general database controlled by the IT European Agency called eu-LISA, which also supports the complete technological infrastructure.

If you want more information, you can also check the different sections on the official site of the EES here.

What differences will you experience as a traveler?

 

The experience of entering a new country is now radically different with the EES finally deployed.

Depending on how large the border crossing is, this experience changes as follows:

• For example, in small border crossings, travelers nw go to the counter to get their fingerprints taken, face scanned, and documents scanned
• But on the other hand, larger points like big airports do incorporate kiosks where the traveler can self-register

But, again, it is important to note that this may also differ according to the state and border crossing, in some cases, finding other portable solutions like a tablet.

If you face the most likely scenario, which is entering the country through an airport, you will be facing one of these high-technology kiosks. And there are three different things that will happen:

1. Your face will be scanned
2. Your passport will also be scanned, capturing data such as your name or date of birth
3. This kiosk will also register the biometrics from 4 fingers of your right hand

Besides, the date and place of entry and exit will be registered, which is one of the most crucial impacts of this new measure.

Also, and as we have said, now that this system is fully implemented, passport stamps are no longer used to identify when a foreigner entered a country for the first time.

How is that possible?

Basically, the passport stamp is replaced by a digital stamp that directly flows into the IT systems of the different border crossings.

Important practical note: During the initial months of full operation, some airports may still experience longer processing times. Travellers are advised to allow extra time at passport control, especially during peak periods. Some border crossings may temporarily revert to manual procedures during congestion periods, as permitted under EU regulations.

When will this system be finally implemented?

 

The EES started its progressive roll-out on 12 October 2025 and became fully operational on 10 April 2026, as confirmed by the European Commission (Migration and Home Affairs). From that date, all 29 Schengen Area countries are required to apply EES checks at their external borders, replacing physical passport stamping with electronic records.

It is worth noting that, under the legal framework of the system’s deployment, member states are permitted to partially suspend EES checks for up to 90 days (with a possible 60-day extension) in exceptional circumstances, such as peak travel periods (e.g. summer).

This flexibility does not alter the system’s official operational status.

 

The impact of the Exit/Entry system on immigration

 

What we have explored so far is simply related to your “traveler experience” when arriving in a new country and crossing its borders.

But we haven’t yet mentioned the HUGE impact this new digital system hase when it comes to immigration in Europe and more precisely to any of the Schengen Area countries.

As you may know, if you overstay your tourist visa days and spend more than 90 days in any of the Schengen countries without obtaining a residency permit, you won’t be able to enter back again, as there would be a risk of another overstay.

But many foreigners went over that fact by renewing their passports, hence eliminating the physical stamp that showed when they entered the country and hence being the proof of their overstaying.

But that is not possible anymore.

As the Entry/Exit system generates a digital stamp (so your physical passport is kept intact), all records of entry/exit will are stored on the online European databases.

Hence, all foreigners have to fully comply with the 90-day rule, and no exemptions will be possible.

But not only that.

The EES also records refusals of entry, which are stored with the traveler’s profile and considered in future attempts to cross the borders of any of the member countries.

Just to provide some statistics so that you can get a clearer picture, over 45 million border crossings have been registered since the EES began operations in October 2025. More than 24,000 people have been refused entry for reasons including insufficient justification of visit, expired or fraudulent documents.

The system has also helped identify over 600 individuals who posed a security risk to Europe, all refused entry and flagged in the system for future border checks.

 

What is the difference between ETIAS and EES?

 

With both new measures being applied during similar types, many foreigners have doubts about the differences between both.

And the truth is that they are completely different things.

As we explored in this article, the ETIAS is travel authorization that non-EU citizens who DON’T need a visa to enter the Schengen Area will have to obtain, in order for the EU to gain better control of those access.

But the ETIAS is not a visa, and it is not an IT system like the EES.

Hence, the Entry/Exit system, on the other hand, is the border crossing system or technology that will be implemented so that travelers can self-check and will validate all their data.

So, as you can see, the ETIAS is a travel authorization that will be checked in any of the EES self-check kiosks.

Of course, both are new measures implemented by the EU in an effort to generate more solid immigration policies and have more efficient and profound control at its borders.

As of today, the EES is fully operational. The ETIAS, on the other hand, has been delayed and is now expected to launch in the last quarter of 2026, with mandatory enforcement likely not before early 2027, given the planned grace period. This means that for travel during 2026, no ETIAS authorisation is required yet.

Be wary of fraudulent websites claiming to issue ETIAS authorisations, as the system is not yet live.

The only official website will be travel-europe.europa.eu/etias once it opens

 

And remember, if you need personalized immigration assistance to move to Spain, get in touch with our immigration lawyers today and enjoy a successful process: 

 

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