EU replaces passport stamps
The EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) went fully live on April 10 across 29 European countries, replacing physical passport stamping with digital border records. (vacationstoremember.com) Meanwhile, the travel‑authorization system ETIAS is now expected to start in autumn 2026, so visa‑exempt travelers like UK visitors don’t need to apply yet. (travelandtourworld.com) (liverpoolecho.co.uk)
Europe’s passport stamps are being phased out at Schengen borders, with the European Union’s Entry/Exit System fully operational from April 10, 2026. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system records entries, exits and refusals of entry digitally for non-European Union nationals coming for short stays, and it also stores a facial image, fingerprints and passport data. The European Commission said the rollout began on October 12, 2025 across 29 European countries. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) France’s foreign ministry said travelers do not need to do anything before departure for the Entry/Exit System itself. The rules apply to non-European Union and non-Schengen travelers staying up to 90 days in any 180-day period, whether they need a visa or not. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) European Union citizens, Schengen-area nationals, long-stay visa holders and residence-permit holders are outside the new registration system. France also said nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Holy See are exempt. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) The change gives border authorities a digital record of how long a visitor has stayed, replacing the old ink-stamp method that could be hard to read or easy to miss. The official European Union travel site says travelers will also be able to check how many days they are allowed to remain in Europe. (travel-europe.europa.eu) The European Commission said the system had already logged more than 45 million border crossings during the phased rollout before full operation began. It also said more than 24,000 people were refused entry and more than 600 people identified as security risks were blocked. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The biometric checks are also meant to catch people using different identities at different borders. The Commission cited a case in Romania where fingerprints and facial data linked one traveler to two identities and three earlier denials of entry. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) A separate system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, still has not started. The official European Union ETIAS site says it will begin in the last quarter of 2026, and no action is required from travelers yet. (travel-europe.europa.eu) That means Americans, Britons and other visa-exempt visitors still do not need a pre-trip European Union travel authorization in April 2026. The U.S. State Department says U.S. citizens do not need an electronic travel authorization for the Schengen Area yet, and the European Union says it will announce the ETIAS start date several months in advance. (travel.state.gov) (travel-europe.europa.eu) For travelers, the immediate change is at the border booth: less stamping, more scanning, and a digital clock on the 90-day limit. The paperwork change that still is not here is ETIAS. (travel-europe.europa.eu 1) (travel-europe.europa.eu 2)
