A digital system for EU travel finally in sight
At the end of July, the European Commission announced that the Entry/Exit System (EES) for the tracking and registration of foreigners travelling to the Schengen Area will begin its implementation on 12 October 2025.
The EES will replace the current practice of manually stamping passports when crossing the external borders of the Schengen Area. The implementation will take place gradually over a period of six months and will cover a total of 29 European countries. The new system will digitally record data on the entry and exit of non-EU citizens travelling to the Schengen Area for short stays, usually up to 90 days. The system will also collect their biometric data and automatically check compliance with the authorised period of stay.
The main objectives of the EES are to increase the security and efficiency of border controls, to reduce illegal stays and to make the movement of people across EU borders more transparent. Companies employing third-country nationals will have to monitor more closely their employees’ business and private trips within the Schengen Area to prevent breaches of immigration rules that could lead to refusals of entry.
The EES’ launch is the next step in the digitisation of EU border management. Its full implementation will be challenging and will require careful coordination between member states, border crossing point operators, and the private sector, all of which should also be already preparing for the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), currently expected to be operational in 2027.