What is the EES?

September 6, 2024

If you are already planning your holiday for 2025, you may have heard about the EES Entry/Exit System but you may be asking ‘What is the EES?’ and ‘How will the EES affect your holiday?’.

We explore what this means for your next holiday.

What is the EES?

EES (Entry/Exit System) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, or holiday, in and out of the Schengen area. This system will mean that passports will no longer need to be stamped.

What is considered a ‘short stay’?

At present, UK nationals can travel to any country in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. If you’re travelling to other Schengen countries in any 180 day period, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day visa-free limit. Visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days. If you overstay the 90-day visa-free limit, you may be banned from entering Schengen countries for up to 3 years.

This applies if you travel:

• as a tourist
• to visit family or friends
• to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
• for short-term studies or training

When Does it Start?

The EES was due to start in November 2024 for all non-EU nationals, which includes British nationals, travelling in and out of the Schengen area. This has been delayed and the new date is yet to be announced.

What is the Schengen Area?

The Schengen area is made up of 29 European countries, 25 of which are EU states.

Here is a list of the 29 countries using the EES:

AUSTRIA • BELGIUM • BULGARIA • CROATIA • CZECHIA • DENMARK • ESTONIA • FINLAND • FRANCE • GERMANY • GREECE • HUNGARY • ICELAND • ITALY • LATVIA • LIECHTENSTEIN • LITHUANIA • LUXEMBOURG • MALTA • NETHERLANDS • NORWAY • POLAND • PORTUGAL • ROMANIA • SLOVAKIA • SLOVENIA • SPAIN • SWEDEN • SWITZERLAND

The following EU countries are not using the EES:

CYPRUS • IRELAND

How does it work?

When you enter one of the countries using the EES, anyone who is a non-EU national will have their fingerprints and photograph taken at the border. If you enter the Schengen area through Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or St Pancras International, your fingerprints and photo will be taken before you leave the UK. This creates a digital record of those entering and leaving these countries. On subsequent journeys, travellers will only need to provide either a photo or fingerprints as the digital record has already been created. Currently, the fingerprints of children below 12 years old are not scanned, even if they are subject to the EES.

Why is the EU introducing EES?

The idea of the EES is predominately to improve border security and will replace the current system of manually stamping passports. The digital records that are created will make it easier for the EU to manage border control, including illegal immigration and overstaying. The idea is that it ultimately simplifies travel and makes it safer.

How will this affect my holiday?

As this is a new system, inevitably, it may mean extra delays at the airport as travellers will need to supply their fingerprints and photos for the first time. It should only take a couple of minutes but, at busy times of the year, the minutes will mount up. The good news is that, ultimately, it should actually speed things up at border crossings and make entering and exiting EU countries easier.

For more information about the EES, you can visit the following websites:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en

What about the ETIAS?

Please note, this blog was updated on 1st November 2024 and represents the information available at the time. For up to date information, please always refer to the government websites.