A significant change is coming to border control for those traveling to Europe from outside the European Union. Officials have announced that starting on October 12, a new program called the Entry/Exit System (EES) will be launched, requiring non-EU citizens to have their fingerprints and faces scanned upon entry. This new procedure will affect visitors to 29 European countries that make up the Schengen Area, fundamentally altering the process of crossing their collective border.
The primary function of the EES is to modernize and tighten border security by replacing the traditional, manual stamping of passports with a digitized, biometric system.
The initiative encompasses most EU member states, as well as several non-EU countries that are part of the border-free zone, including Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. Notably, the new biometric checks will also apply to citizens of the United Kingdom, who have been subject to different entry regulations since Brexit.
Under the new system, the biometric data collected from travelers will be stored in a centralized database for a specific period. For the majority of tourists who comply with visa regulations, their fingerprints and facial images will be kept for three years and a day. However, for individuals who overstay their permitted time in the Schengen Area, this data will be retained for five years, aiding authorities in enforcing immigration rules. Officials have made it clear that compliance is mandatory; any traveler who declines to provide their biometric data will not be permitted to enter the bloc.
The implementation of this large-scale technological overhaul has faced challenges.
The EES was originally scheduled to go into effect in November of last year but was postponed due to technical difficulties and a need for greater readiness among the participating nations. Acknowledging the complexity of the project, the system will not be activated simultaneously across all locations. Instead, the EES will be rolled out in gradual waves, with the full implementation across every participating country in the Schengen Area not expected until April 2026.
This transition marks a new era for international travel to Europe, shifting from paper-based checks to a more technologically advanced and data-driven approach to border management. As the October start date approaches, travelers from outside the EU will need to prepare for these new requirements. The system is designed to create a more secure and efficient border, but visitors will need to be aware of the procedural changes to ensure their entry into the Schengen Area is as smooth as possible.
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