EU’s new entry-exit system comes into effect. What to expect

The European Union’s new digital border registration process, called the Entry/Exit System (EES), kicked in on Sunday (Oct. 12).

This automated system will affect all non-EU nationals, including Canadians, travelling to countries within the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The EES is designed to digitally record travellers’ entry and exit information when crossing the external borders of Schengen countries. It requires travellers to scan their passport and have their fingerprints and photograph taken.

The system replaces the current process of manual passport stamping, promising a more efficient and secure way to monitor who enters and leaves the Schengen zone, a border-free area in Europe made up of 29 countries.

The EES will gradually be implemented over six months. During the first 180 days, border officers are expected to continue stamping passports, in addition to registering entries and exits digitally, reads the Government of Canada’s travel advice page.

After this transition period, only the digital system will be used. Full implementation of the EES is expected by April 10, 2026.

What to expect

The system is said to help identify travellers who overstay, prevent identity fraud, and strengthen border management in response to evolving migration challenges within the EU.

Once the EES has been introduced, travellers’ biometric data (fingerprints and a facial photo) will be collected when they arrive in a Schengen country with a Canadian passport.

“You don’t need to do anything before your trip – this will happen when you arrive,” the Canadian government advises. 

Self-service kiosks

If a traveller has an ePassport, he or she will be able to use self-service kiosks at the border. But after using the kiosk, they will still need go through border control, Ottawa says.

A passport control officer will review the information and may ask further questions before deciding whether to grant or refuse access to the country, the government says.

Biometric data will be stored for three years, and if a traveller return to the Schengen area within that time, they will not have to provide the information again.

"The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework,” European Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.

For more information on the EES, click here.

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