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Travelers heading to European Union countries in October will be among the first to experience Europe’s new Entry/Exit (EES) system that replaces passport stamping with biometric scanning, depending on the destination they’re visiting.
According to CBS News, the new implementation will depend on how ready the individual EU member states are for implementation, to be introduced from October 12 over the next six months.
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (also known as EES) requires fingerprinting and pictures, along with passport information such as full name and date of birth. The system will also include when and where travelers are entering the Schengen Area and when they will be leaving.
Fingerprints of children under 12 will not be collected currently, though.
Personal data will be kept for three prior post-departure, with exemptions for family members of EU citizens and some non-EU nationals.
The first countries that will implement the change has not yet been announced, but the official website for the system mentions it will first become operational at “select” border stops.
All European Union countries, excepting Ireland and Cyprus, will eventually implement this new system, along with four non-EU members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Travelers should be aware that they might have to undergo the new entry process when they arrive in Europe.
“U.S. citizens traveling to most European countries should expect new automated border checks and to have their biodata digitally collected upon arrival and departure,” the State Department said in a post on social media.
This is not ETIAS, which will require a fee for non-EU nationals heading to Europe. That has been delayed several times, and is expected to build off of the Entry/Exit System when it launches sometime in late 2026.
This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.
Contact My Journey Begins Travel for updates on the rollouts of EES and ETIAS in Europe, as well as to book your trip to anywhere in Europe.