As of October 12, travelling into the EU is a little bit more complicated. Now a simple passport check won’t be enough to get you across the border – you’ll have to scan your fingerprints and answer a few questions too.
The new EU Entry/Exit system (EES) has been a long time coming, initially proposed way back in 2016. It might seem like a daunting extra step for any upcoming trips to Europe you’ve got planned, but it’s only really a digital addition to your passport that you don’t need to sign up to or pay for.
However, like everything else, its introduction has come with teething problems, this time in the form of long queues at passport control desks. Some airports have announced up to four-hour-long waits, although it’s not just air passengers who will be subject to these extra checks. No matter whether you’re going by boat, bus, plane, or train, you’ll have to register.
Here’s everything you need to know about the EES if you’re due to travel to the EU soon.
What is EES?
The EES is a new registration system that every third-country national (non-EU citizen) will need to join in order to enter the Schengen zone. In short, it’s the EU asking for a bit more information than passports can provide: now at border control, you’ll be asked to show your passport and scan your fingerprints to prove your identity. This will happen automatically at the gate and you don’t need to sign up or register beforehand. Once you’ve used the EES once, your data will be stored for three years.
The EES is not a visa, and separate from the ‘European Travel Information and Authorisation System’ (ETIAS). The ETIAS is a waiver that those who don’t need a visa to travel to the EU, such as Brits, will need to pay for.
When did the new system come into effect?
The EES came into effect on October 12, although it has not been fully rolled out across the continent. It won’t be until April 2026 that every border checkpoint is fully updated with the new tech.
What exactly will happen at the airport?
When you arrive at the airport, you will go through passport control as normal. The first time you use the EES will take slightly longer because you will need to register.
Once you reach the registration kiosk, you’ll scan your passport as you would a boarding pass. You’ll then have a photograph taken of your face and will have to answer a few questions about the nature of your stay and whether or not you have a return ticket.
Once you’ve registered (you only need to do this once every three years), the only difference is that when your passport is checked at the border, you’ll also have to scan your fingerprints. This new process will lead to the eventual phasing out of passport stamps.
What are the worst airports for delays?
It’s only been a day since the EES began, so it’s hard to tell right now which airports will be particularly bad in the long term and which are just struggling to get things perfect right off the bat.
At the moment, bigger airports are likely to have longer wait times. According to the Independent, which has analysed flight arrival times across several major European airports, mornings at Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gualle could be particularly painful.
The Independent also mentioned Faro, Palma de Mallorca, Milan Malpensa, and Heraklion as being potentially overloaded.
How long should we expect to wait at airports?
According to some travel experts, those travelling while the EES is still new should leave up to four hours to get through border security after landing. While the registration process might only take a couple of minutes, multiply that by hundreds of other passengers and that’s quite a lot of extra time to factor in.
You will also need to go through EES checks when you leave the continent, and the Romanian government has recommended travellers ‘arrive at the airport with extra time before their scheduled international flights’.
Is there anything else that could disrupt my travel?
There are a few upcoming airport strikes which could further disrupt your travel in the continent – you can find our guide to the latest European airport strikes here.
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