Authors: Jeanette Ryan & Lucy Sanders

If your employees travel frequently to Europe, big changes are coming to how their movements are tracked at the border. The European Commission has confirmed that the Entry/Exit System (EES) will launch on 12 October 2025, with a six-month rollout across the Schengen zone’s 29 countries. By April 2026, the system will be fully operational - and it will completely replace traditional passport stamping with a digital record of travel.

What is the EES?

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an advanced IT system that will digitally record the entries and exits of non-EU nationals travelling to the Schengen zone for short stays. It represents a significant modernisation of how the EU manages its external borders, moving from traditional passport stamps to a fully digital registration system.

Who will be affected?

The EES applies to non-EU nationals travelling to the Schengen zone for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

What information will be collected?

The system will register biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, as well as other travel information. This biometric data will be stored and used for future border crossings.

Key objectives and benefits

The EES aims to modernise border management, reduce identity fraud and enhance internal security. The EES will also enable stricter enforcement of the rule which limits non-EU visitors’ presence in the Schengen zone to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. If a person who has already stayed in the Schengen zone for 90 days within 180 days tries to enter again, they will be refused entry at the border and the data on refusal of entry will be registered in the EES. At ECA, we can assist in monitoring days spent within the Schengen zone to ensure compliance for your business travellers.

Other EU border management information systems that are relevant to non-EU nationals

Beyond the EES, the European Union has established 3 other centralised information platforms for border management; the Schengen Information System (SIS), Visa Information System (VIS) and European Asylum Dactyloscopy Database (EURODAC). The 3 systems are complementary and – aside from SIS- apply predominantly to non-EU nationals.

A 4^th centralised information system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), is anticipated to launch in 2026 and will apply to visa-exempt non-EU nationals. While the Visa Information System handles data about Schengen visas, ETIAS travel authorisation will be an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to Schengen zone and Cyprus (30 European countries). The EES, along with the systems mentioned above, will form part of an interconnected EU information systems framework designed to improve the accurate identification of individuals whose records exist across these digital platforms.

What to expect

During the progressive rollout period of the EES, different border crossing points will implement the system at different times, so travellers may experience varying procedures depending on where and when they enter or leave the Schengen zone. Travellers may also experience some initial delays at borders, particularly for first-time users providing biometric data.

The introduction of the EES represents one of the most significant changes to EU border management in recent years and will fundamentally alter how non-EU nationals enter and exit the Schengen zone.