Dhaka: The European Union has begun phasing in its new Entry-Exit System (EES) for border control, requiring non-EU travellers to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images, along with passport details, at entry and exit points across the bloc.

Launched on October 12, 2025, the EES replaces manual passport stamping and is designed to digitally track third-country nationals' movements, monitor visa-free stays, and enhance security.

The system will store identity data for three years, covering travellers from outside the EU and Schengen Area. Children under 12 must register details but are exempt from photo capture.

The EES applies to the “Schengen Area +”, comprising 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—excluding Cyprus and Ireland.

EU authorities say the system will help detect overstays by automatically calculating whether the 90-day-in-180-day visa-free rule has been followed.

Implementation is underway at airports, seaports, land borders, and rail terminals, with full operational readiness expected by April 10, 2026.

Border agents may temporarily suspend biometric checks to manage queues, with authorities warning of potential delays of up to four hours in early stages.

The system is already in place at several locations, including UK departure points, Estonia, Düsseldorf Airport in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Luxembourg.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will activate EES on November 3, while major airports in France, as well as border systems in Greece and Poland, are also ready.

In Belgium, Brussels Airport has installed 12 new arrival border control boxes, equipped all 33 control stations with facial image cameras, and deployed 61 self-service pre-registration kiosks to support the Federal Police, according to a press release.

EES is a precursor to the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), set to launch in late 2026.

ETIAS will require travellers from visa-free countries to obtain pre-travel approval by submitting personal and trip details online and paying a €20 fee. Approvals will be valid for three years or until the passport expires.

The systems mark a major post-Brexit change for UK citizens, who are now treated as third-country nationals.

At long-established “juxtaposed” border controls—including Dover Port, Eurotunnel in Folkestone, and Eurostar at London St Pancras—British travellers must now submit biometric data before departure. Irish citizens are exempt.

-B