Everything you need to know about the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES)

Certain ferry and train passengers will soon need to swap their passport stamps for fingerprints. The EU has announced a new border system that applies to non-EU nationals traveling throughout Europe. If that’s you, here’s the 411.

As of October 12 2025, European countries have begun rolling out an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area for a short stay. This digital border control system will replace manual passport stamping and instead collect biometric data, such as facial images and fingerprints, in order to track travelers undergoing short-term stays.

What is a non-EU national?

“For the purpose of this system,” explains the official EU website, “non-EU national means a traveler not holding the nationality of any European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.”

Non-EU nationals will encounter the system when crossing the external borders of the following countries:

• 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

The EES system aims to make border passing more efficient. Source: iStock

EES Start Date: What you need to do

The Entry/Exit System was first used on October 12 2025 by ferry passengers traveling from Calais to Dover or from Calais to Folkestone via LeShuttle (Eurotunnel). It will slowly roll out across the EU into 2026, and the full implementation is scheduled for April 10, 2026.

You do not need to register for EES before reaching the border or prepare any extra documents. There are no fees associated with the EES system. The process will take place when you cross the external border of the Schengen country you’ve visited. There, you will present your fingerprints and have your photograph taken. The data will be stored for three years, so you will not have to undergo this process each time you cross a European border.

The EU defines a short stay as any 90 days within an 180-day period. For example, if you arrive to Greece in October, you can stay until December, but would then have to leave for 6 months in order to return for another short stay. Feel free to use this short-stay calculator to check your travel plans.

In our industry, the rules change pretty often. Let us help you stay updated! Source: iStock

Exemptions from the EES System

The EES does not apply to the following types of travelers:

• Nationals of European countries, as well as those from Ireland and Cyprus
• Non-EU nationals in possession of a residence card or residence permit and have an immediate relation (family member, spouse) of an EU national
• Non-EU nationals traveling to Europe for research, studies, training, voluntary service, educational projects, au-pairing, or intra-corporate transfers
• Holders of long-stay visas
• Nationals of Andorra, Monaco, Sa Marino, and holders of passports issued by the Vatican City State
• Peoples exempt from border checks
• Those holding a valid border traffic permit
• Crew members of passenger and goods trains on international journeys

Want to stay on top of border news?

Subscribers to the Ferryscanner newsletter hear things first. 😎 Get updates like this that may affect your travel plans, exclusive deals, exciting updates and more directly to your inbox. Subscribe today.