What's happening with the EU's Entry Exit Scheme?

Last updated: 17th March 2025

Planning on travelling to the EU at the end of the year? You'll need to know about EES and how it could affect your travels.

The EU member states finally agreed on 5th March to roll out their new Entry / Exit System (EES) later this year, with a speculative launch date of October.

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What is EES?

EES, or the EU's creatively named Entry/Exit System, is a new automated passport checking system, now expected to come into use in October this year.

At the moment when we visit the EU we have our passports checked and stamped manually, but this is going to be replaced with a more modern and efficient system – the EES.

It will collect biometric data (your fingerprint and a photo of your face) the first time you visit the EU. Then it will check your passport against that data on all your following visits.

The idea is that it will drastically speed up the process by automating everything, but the reality is that the initial roll-out will cause delays. This is because each visitor will have to provide biometric data for the first time using the new technology, which will take a bit longer than any future automated checks, or the current manual system.

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What countries are affected?

Here's the full list:

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	Switzerland

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What do I need to do?

Right now you don't need to do anything – if you're travelling before the scheme kicks in some time around October this year then nothing will change for you and you don't need to worry.

If you're travelling after this then you'll notice the change when you get to an EU port or airport. When you arrive your face and fingerprints will be scanned and stored, and then every time you visit the EU the automatic barriers will check your passport against your biometric data on file.

Unless you're travelling by Eurostar from St Pancras, the Port of Dover, or the Eurotunnel in Folkestone – in which case the checks will happen at the UK end.

The EES data is linked to your passport, so if you get a new passport you'll need to provide your biometric data again. So if your passport is close to expiring it might be worth renewing it a bit earlier to save yourself some hassle later on.

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Is it going to disrupt travel to the EU?

Short answer? Probably, at least to start with. When Slovenia tested the new tech they said it would take four times as long to process arrivals.

But some changes have been agreed to the original plan.

First, EU member states are now allowed to implement EES either all in one go, or to roll it out in phases.

Under the phased approach, a country can launch the scheme over six months, initially registering 10% of visitors under the new scheme and only implemeting biometric checks after 60 days. Then at the end of the six months the scheme is expected to be fully in place.

That means the queues and delays won't be as bad as originally thought. But the Port of Dover expects fairly severe delays, and different airports around the EU will have made better or worse preparations. As the scheme rolls out, we'll keep you up to date with where it is, and isn't, working.

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Can I just complete the biometric checks before I travel?

Possibly. One of the reasons EES was delayed was to complete an app that is intended to simplify the registration, and let visitors do it from home rather than at the passport gates when they land. That app is now built, but it's up to member countries whether they are willing to use it to process visitors. We'll update you if any countries announce plans to use it.

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What if I don't want my biometric data stored by the EU?

Then they won't let you in. Some countries, like the USA, already require biometric data from visitors so it's not completely new.

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What's it actually for?

People who don't live in the EU, which includes UK nationals, are only allowed to visit for 90 days in any 180 day period. There isn't currently a database of who's visited, so the EU can't enforce the 90-day rule with their manual system.

This electronic database should be quicker in the long run, once all the initial expected delays settle down. And it's the precursor to the new ETIAS scheme which should launch some time next year, probably in May.

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What's ETIAS?

ETIAS is different from EES.

It's a visa waiver programme that anyone visiting the EU from outside (which includes UK nationals) will need to buy to be allowed in. It'll cost around £6 for anyone between 18 and 70 – anyone outside of those ages can get it for free. It'll last for three years or until your passport runs out – whichever is sooner.

Unlike the EES, you will need to apply for the ETIAS before you travel.

ETIAS is expected to start operating in 2026, six months after the roll-out of EES, at which point it will be optional. Since the full roll-out of EES won't be complete until, at best, April 2026, that means ETIAS will be optional from October 2026.

Six months later (so currently the earliest possible date is early 2027), ETIAS is expected to become (sort of) mandatory, at which point you'll (sort of) need to have it to visit the countries affected. However, original plans for the scheme suggested that each traveller would get a once-only pass to travel without an ETIAS during a "grace period", so even once it becomes mandatory you may be able to visit once without it.

Six months after that (yes, that's a fair way off, perhaps October 2027) is when the grace period is expected to end, at which point ETIAS becomes fully mandatory and you'll need it to get into a member nation.

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How do I avoid the whole thing?

You've got a few options if you want to avoid the inevitable delays or don't want to give the EU your biometric data.

The simplest way is to travel before October (or possibly November) this year when the EES scheme is expected to kick in.

Or avoid the EU Schengen Zone entirely. Our map shows you everywhere that's part of the scheme, which covers the whole EU Schengen Zone plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Within 4 hours you can fly to Ireland, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Morocco or Tunisia. Or if you don't mind flying further than that, everywhere outside of Europe from the USA to Bali is entirely unaffected.

It's worth knowing there are a few places outside of the EU which are affected by the scheme, including the Vatican, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, which - while technically outside the scheme - are either difficult or impossible to reach without passing through an EU country.

We've also put together some tips to help you avoid as much hassle as possible.

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Tips to avoid EES delays

• Time your trip to miss the initial delays. So either before October or well after it once the scheme beds in.
• Pick a destination that's not affected.
• Book last minute – wait until the scheme has started and see which airports are handling it the best.
• Avoid the Port of Dover and Eurostar for the first few days to see how bad the delays are.
• Only take hand luggage. Pay a little extra to sit at the front of the plane and try to be the first off – the queues won't seem as long if you're closer to the front!
• Check your passport. If it runs out soon after your biometrics are recorded you'll have to go through the process again. So you may as well renew it first.

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