On October 12, 2025, the pilot phase of the Entry/Exit System (EES) for border control and registration of third-country nationals — non-EU citizens travelling for short stays — officially came into effect. The new system applies to travellers who require a short-stay visa, as well as to visa-exempt third-country nationals. Entry refusals will also be recorded in this system.

During electronic registration, the system will collect and store travel document data, personal details, and entry and exit dates, which will be registered electronically. The rules for collecting and storing personal data under EES are defined by Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, establishing the Entry/Exit System. The EES collects and records the following information:

• Full data is contained in the travel document.

• Date and place of entry and exit from a European country using the EES;

• Facial image and fingerprints (“biometric data”);

• Entry refusal, where applicable.

Fingerprint data of non-EU nationals who are visa-exempt and holders of facilitated transit documents will be stored in the EES. For those requiring a visa to enter the Schengen Area, fingerprints will continue to be stored in the Visa Information System (VIS).

The system may also retrieve personal information, depending on the specific case, from the Visa Information System (which contains additional personal data) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), particularly concerning travel authorisation status and, where applicable, family member status.

The EES will be implemented in EU member states, excluding Cyprus and Ireland, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Important: Refusal to provide biometric data will result in denial of entry to European countries utilising the EES.