The EU’s new Entry/Exit System, which digitally records border crossings instead of stamping passports, will become fully operational on 10 April 2026 following a progressive roll-out that began on 12 October 2025 in 29 European countries.
The system records entries, exits or refusals of entry for non-EU nationals making short stays, and collects a facial image, fingerprints and personal details from the travel document, the European Commission said on Monday.
More than 45 million border crossings have been registered in the system since operations began, it added.
More than 24,000 people have been refused entry for reasons including insufficient justification for their visit or expired or fraudulent documents.
Over 600 people identified as posing a security risk were refused entry and recorded in the system, meaning border authorities can see the earlier refusal if they attempt to enter another country using EES.
Biometric checks and identity fraud
Fingerprints and facial images are checked at each crossing against biometric data stored in the system, making identity fraud easier to detect, the Commission said.
Schengen countries have reported several cases of travellers detected using different identities, including a recent case in Romania where biometric checks showed the same person using two identities with separate documents, and further inquiries found the traveller had been denied entry to the Schengen area three times by different member states.
