Schengen biometrics live

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System is now fully live across the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps with digital records and biometric checks for non-EU short-stay travellers. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The European Commission said full operation began on April 10, 2026, after a six-month phased rollout that started on October 12, 2025. The system records a traveller’s name, passport details, date and place of entry or exit, and biometric data including fingerprints and a facial image. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system applies to non-EU nationals visiting for short stays in the 29 countries using the scheme, and it is designed to flag overstays automatically instead of relying on ink stamps in passports. The European Union’s travel portal says the phased rollout ended on April 9, 2026. (travel-europe.europa.eu, travel-europe.europa.eu) For British travellers, the change is one of the clearest post-Brexit border shifts now in force. The UK government says Britons travelling to the Schengen area are covered by the system and should expect extra processing time at airports, seaports and land borders. (gov.uk, gov.uk) Most first-time travellers are expected to give four fingerprints from the right hand and a facial biometric, while children under 12 do not have fingerprints scanned. The European Union says visa holders may have only a facial image stored because fingerprints are already collected during the visa process. (travel-europe.europa.eu, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk) Greece has broken with that pattern for British visitors. The Independent reported on April 19 that Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, said British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points in a move aimed at smoother arrivals. (independent.co.uk) Greek authorities are still telling airlines and airports that the Entry/Exit System began full implementation on April 10 and that it records both facial images and fingerprints for third-country nationals on short stays. That leaves Greece’s reported carve-out for Britons looking like a national exception layered onto a system Brussels says is now operational across Schengen. (hcaa.gov.gr, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Border operators have been preparing for longer queues for months. The UK government’s Travel Aware campaign says each passenger may need extra time to complete the process, especially on a first trip after registration became mandatory. (travelaware.campaign.gov.uk) Gibraltar is also building around the new border regime. HM Government of Gibraltar said on April 16 that it is rolling out a broader security package ahead of treaty implementation, including facial-recognition technology and about 60 new CCTV cameras across Main Street and other public areas. (gibraltar.gov.gi, euroweeklynews.com) The practical effect for travellers is simple: passport stamps are no longer the main record, border databases are, and first crossings can take longer while that record is created. Greece’s softer approach for Britons stands out because the rest of the system has just moved from partial rollout to full enforcement. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, independent.co.uk)