Schengen EES goes live
The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) went live across 29 Schengen countries on April 10, replacing passport stamping with digital registration. (travelandtourworld.com). Travelers have reported mixed experiences — everything from fast processing to long queues and confusing kiosks — and some airports and Channel ports still lack full tech for the rollout. (independent.co.uk) (thelocal.ch).
Europe’s passport stamps are being replaced by a database: the European Union’s Entry/Exit System became fully operational across 29 Schengen countries on April 10. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system logs each short-stay border crossing by non-European Union nationals, including passport details, a facial image and fingerprints, instead of relying on ink stamps in a passport. The European Commission says the progressive rollout began on October 12, 2025 and recorded more than 45 million crossings before the full launch. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Schengen now covers 29 countries: 25 European Union members plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Bulgaria and Romania were the latest countries to join the Schengen area on January 1, 2025. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) For travelers, the practical change is at the first crossing. The European Commission says first-time registration captures passport data and biometrics, while later trips are meant to use a faster identity check and automatic counting of the 90-days-in-180 rule for short stays. (commission.europa.eu) The rollout has not looked the same everywhere. The Independent reported reader accounts ranging from quick airport processing to long queues and confusing kiosks on April 11, one day after full deployment. (independent.co.uk) Some of the biggest problems have been at Channel crossings from Britain into France. The Local reported on April 11 that several airports saw disruption and that some Channel ports still did not have the technology in place for a full biometric rollout. (thelocal.com) The system has been years in the making and was delayed repeatedly before the European Commission set a six-month phased launch ending on April 10, 2026. Eu-LISA, the European Union agency that runs large border technology systems, said that deadline closed a 180-day implementation period across the Schengen area. (eulisa.europa.eu) Another border change is already queued behind it. France’s foreign ministry says the separate European Travel Information and Authorisation System, an online pre-travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is due in the last quarter of 2026. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) For now, the old passport thump is gone at most Schengen borders, but the first weekend of full operation showed that a digital border can still mean a very physical queue. (travel-europe.europa.eu)
