EU to Launch Digital Border Controls in 2026
The European Union is preparing to roll out new digital border controls for the Schengen Area in 2026. The changes include the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) and a unified digital entry regime, which is expected to drive demand for interoperable digital identity credentials across both government and private sectors.
- The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a separate but linked system to ETIAS, designed to replace manual passport stamping with an electronic record of entries, exits, and entry refusals for non-EU nationals. It will become fully operational at all external border crossing points on April 10, 2026, after a phased rollout that began on October 12, 2025. - On their first entry into the Schengen Area after the EES is active, non-EU travelers will need to register a facial image and fingerprints. This biometric data, along with personal data from their travel documents, will be stored for three years, allowing for quicker verification on subsequent trips. - The ETIAS authorization will be a requirement for travelers from visa-exempt countries and is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2026. The online application will cost €20, and once approved, the authorization will be valid for three years. - Since the phased EES rollout began in October 2025, airports have reported significant operational challenges, including processing time increases of up to 70% and wait times of several hours, leading some airports like Lisbon to temporarily suspend the system. To mitigate summer travel congestion in 2026, member states can temporarily suspend EES checks for up to 90 days, with a possible 60-day extension after the April 10 deadline. - The new digital border infrastructure is managed by eu-LISA, the EU's agency for large-scale IT systems. It is designed to be interoperable with other major EU security databases, including the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS), and systems managed by Europol, creating one of the world's largest biometric databases. - The total EU budget for security and defense for the 2021-2027 period is €43.9 billion, a 123% increase from the previous cycle. This includes a €6.2 billion allocation for the Integrated Border Management Fund, which supports the implementation of systems like EES and ETIAS. - The new systems will collect a range of data, including full name, date of birth, passport number, facial image, fingerprints, and the date and place of each entry and exit. This data is used to enforce the 90/180-day rule, identify overstayers, and help in the investigation of terrorism and serious crime. - While ETIAS does not collect biometric data during its application process, the EES does. The data is protected under EU GDPR and data protection rules, and travelers have the right to access and request corrections to their information.
