The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational across all Schengen countries on 10 April 2026, replacing passport stamping with digital records for non-EU nationals visiting for short stays.
The EES records travellers’ entries and exits from the Schengen Area — a group of 29 European countries that share a common external border — using personal details from travel documents alongside biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints, the European Commission announced on Friday.
More than 52 million entries and exits have been registered since the system’s progressive roll-out began in October 2025.
There have been over 27,000 refusals of entry, with almost 700 people identified as posing a security threat to the EU.
At full capacity, registering a traveller takes an average of 70 seconds.
What changes for travellers at the border
Passport stamps are being replaced by digital records of when and where a person enters and leaves the Schengen area, with the system designed to help authorities spot people who overstay their permitted time and detect document and identity fraud, the Commission said.
The EES has now been deployed across all Schengen external border crossing points, and the Commission noted it remains in close contact with member states on implementation.
The system will help identify overstayers, prevent irregular movements, and combat document and identity fraud, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said.
