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Updated August 2024

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is an innovative program designed to log and monitor individuals outside the EU who arrive in or depart from the Schengen region. Implementing EES promises strengthened management and security at borders. Let’s take a closer look at what the EES is and how it works.

Read on with Wego to get to know everything about the EU EES system.

Table of Contents

What is the EU EES?

The EU EES is a computerized system that records non-EU nationals crossing any EU external border regardless of their short-stay visa requirements using an automated IT system. In addition, it provides digital record-keeping for entry refusals to make passport control quicker and more effective by replacing the need for passport stamping. Its purpose includes enhanced border security and management while thwarting illegal migration and identity fraud methods.

The EES furnishes travelers with transparent information about their obligations upon entering/exiting Europe and permits online verification of stay allowance; hence, mandatory rules are applied without exception to all non-EU tourists embarking on 90-day or fewer visits within every 180 days through indicated European countries.

EU EES system

The system will record the traveler’s name, travel document type, and biometric data (fingerprints and facial images). It will also keep track of entry and exit dates and locations while upholding fundamental rights and ensuring data protection. EES eliminates the need for manual passport stamping, which is time-consuming and unreliable in recording border crossings. This automated system allows systematic detection of travelers overstaying their authorized duration.

EU EES fingerprints and facial image

The EU EES collects biometric data from non-EU short-stay travelers, including fingerprints and facial images. This helps verify their identity and ensure they follow the rules on stay duration. This process includes scanning their passport and placing four fingers on a scanner. A camera will also capture their facial image. The data will be saved in a central database and linked to the traveler’s information (name, type of travel document, date/time/location of entry/exit).

This system gathers the traveler’s personal data whenever they cross European borders using it. The personal data collected, along with their entry or exit time and date, are stored within the system to expedite border checks.

The EES collects information to validate travelers’ identities, ensure compliance with the length of stay regulations, prevent potential terrorism and illicit activities, locate undocumented immigrants and generate statistics on border crossings.

EU EES personal data collection

It follows strict data protection rules for the personal information it collects and stores. Travelers can access, correct or delete their personal data if needed and file a complaint with a national authority or European Data Protection Supervisor. Personal data collected by the EES is deleted three years after the last trip, except in cases of entry refusal, where it is kept for five years due to data protection regulations.

The personal data collected by the EES includes:

Data listed in your travel document
Date and place of entry into and exit from a European country using the EES
Biometric data (facial image and fingerprints)
Refusal of entry (if relevant)

EU EES start date

In a recent speech at eu-LISA, Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, announced that the Entry/Exit System (EES) will officially commence operations on 10 November 2024. Commissioner Johansson emphasized the importance of the EES in streamlining border controls, improving security, and ensuring a more efficient processing experience for visitors. The launch of the EES marks a significant step towards modernizing the EU’s border infrastructure and reinforcing its commitment to robust and effective immigration management.

Upon implementing the EES, Commissioner Johansson stated that approximately 700 million travelers to Europe would be impacted annually. The system is designed to enhance safety for 450 million European citizens from the date of its implementation.

EU EES countries list

The EES will be enforced on all non-EU citizens traveling to the Schengen Area, regardless of their reason for travel. This system is also valid for visits with varying lengths of stay, either short or extended durations.

The following 29 countries are part of the Schengen Area and will use the EES at their external borders at launch:

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

Distinguishing between ETIAS and EES

The European Entry-Exit System (EES), set to launch soon, will modernize border management by digitizing processes for non-EU travelers on short stays, replacing traditional passport stamping. This advanced IT platform efficiently gathers and stores travel document details and personal data on arrival, improving travel efficiency and immigration regulation enforcement.

On the other hand, the ETIAS requires travelers from visa-exempt countries to obtain travel authorization for short stays in European nations. These authorizations remain valid for up to three years or until passport expiration but do not guarantee entry, as travelers undergo scrutiny by border officials upon arrival.

For more information on ETIAS requirements and application procedures, please visit our dedicated ETIAS article.