EU Starts Biometric Borders
The EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System is now operational across 29 countries and replaces traditional passport stamps with passport scans, fingerprint collection and a facial photo for non‑EU travelers. ( ) Reports from travelers and outlets describe long queues, confusing kiosks and technical glitches at airports in Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland as the system rolls out. ( )
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System became fully operational across the Schengen area on April 10, replacing passport stamps with digital border records for short-stay non-European Union visitors. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The system now applies in 29 European countries and records a traveler’s name, passport details, fingerprints, facial image, and the date and place of each entry and exit. The European Commission said the phased rollout began on October 12, 2025 and ended on April 10, 2026. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The rule covers non-European Union and non-Schengen travelers visiting for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, including visa-free visitors such as Americans and Britons. Ireland and Cyprus do not use the system, and people with residence permits or long-stay visas are exempt. (travel.state.gov, diplomatie.gouv.fr) European Union officials say the database is meant to spot overstays automatically, flag forged documents, and record refusals of entry at the border. The Commission said more than 52 million entries and exits had already been logged during the phased launch, along with more than 27,000 refusals of entry and more than 700 people identified as security risks. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The Entry/Exit System is also the first half of a wider border overhaul that will later add the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, an online pre-trip approval for visa-exempt visitors. France’s foreign ministry said that authorization is planned for the last quarter of 2026 and is separate from the border registration now in force. (diplomatie.gouv.fr) The first days of full operation have been uneven. Euronews reported warnings of significant airport delays in the coming months, while The Independent said travelers described long queues, confusing kiosks, patchy fingerprint scans, and smoother processing at some airports. (euronews.com, independent.co.uk) Those delays were not a surprise. Airports Council International had warned in December 2025 that border checks were taking 70 percent longer under the new process and could produce waits of up to three hours, while aviation and airport groups warned in February 2026 of possible four-hour summer queues if the rollout stayed on schedule. (independent.co.uk, independent.co.uk) Travelers do not need to complete a separate application before arriving for the border registration itself. U.S. guidance says no fee is required to enter the Schengen area under the new system, and France’s foreign ministry said there is “nothing to do before travelling” for Entry/Exit System checks. (travel.state.gov, diplomatie.gouv.fr) For travelers, the practical change is simple but slower: the first crossing now means a passport scan, biometric capture, and a digital record that follows each short stay instead of an ink stamp. For European officials, April 10 was the date the long-delayed system finally moved from pilot phase to the default border check. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu)
