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EU Entry/Exit System: Information about changing requirements for travellers to countries in the Schengen area.
From 12 October 2025, the European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) will begin. This new digital border system will change requirements for citizens travelling to the Schengen area.
The countries in the Schengen area are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.
If you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using your passport, you must register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.
EES registration will gradually replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.
From 10 April 2026, transport carriers will be required to verify the following before boarding:
• Non-EU nationals requiring a short-stay visa possess a valid visa.
• Number of entries authorised by the visa has not been exhausted.
If these conditions are not met, the traveller will be denied boarding authorisation.
EES may take each passenger a few extra minutes to complete, so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border once the system starts.
Find out more information on the EU’s Entry/Exit System on the EU's official Travel Europe website.
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