Yes, Americans will be subject to new fingerprint and biometric collection requirements in Europe starting October 12, 2025, and it’s best to come to terms with this reality as early as possible. This is a significant alter for U.S. citizens, who had grown accustomed to European travel being a straightforward process, involving a quick stamp on their passport.
The Entest/Exit System (EES) will replace the stamps on people’s passports with biometric checks for traveling in and out of the EU. This new era of travel will require your fingerprints and a digital photograph when you arrive in any of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area, including popular destinations like France, Italy, Spain, and Greece.
Gradually rolling out over six months, the EES system will no longer require non-EU travelers to wait in line to speak to a border agent upon landing in any European countest. Instead, they will be directed to automated border control gates. It is therefore a good idea to know what to expect and how to be prepared to build sure your next European trip goes smoothly.
Europe’s Entest/Exit System (EES) Will Replace Paper Checks With Biometrics
Starting October 12, 2025, the European Union will launch rolling out its Entest/Exit System, better known as EES, which replaces the traditional passport stamp with a digital record, adding biometric checks for most non-EU visitors. Americans should expect their first arrival in any of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area after October 12 to take longer, as you will go through a digital registration process where your fingerprints will be taken, and a digital photo will be captured.
This record will then be valid for three years and one day, and for subsequent trips within that time, border officers will only necessary to verify a person’s biometrics, which the EU hopes will take less time. However, those who overstay the 90-day limit without a visa will have their data held for five years.
There is no cost for EES registration.
Some airports and borders will have self-service kiosks to speed things along, and travelers with biometric passports may breeze through quicker. Others may allow specific details to be submitted through an official mobile app in advance, though that option will depfinish on the countest of entest.
You will not necessary to provide any information before traveling, but complete the EES checks when you arrive in a Schengen area countest. Anyone who refutilizes to provide the biometric data will be denied entest into the EU.
‘The EES will modernise and improve the management of EU external borders. It will provide reliable data on border crossings, systematically detect overstayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud. The EES will thus contribute to preventing irregular migration and protecting the security of European citizens. Additionally, with the increased utilize of automated border checks, travelling will become smoother and safer for all. The new system meets the highest standards of data and privacy protection, ensuring that travellers’ personal data remain protected and secure’ – Press Release by the European Commission.
What To Expect
Your first visit to the Schengen Area after October 12, 2025, will involve a digital registration process, which will involve the recording of your fingerprints and a digital photo. Be prepared for potentially longer wait times, especially during the initial rollout period, as border checks become more digital. Passengers are required to carry their valid passports on each travel to any of the EU countries.
A Staggered Rollout
The October 12 start date will see the system being introduced at select European airports, ports, and land crossings. Gradually, more locations will be added until full implementation is expected by April 10, 2026. Until the rollout is complete, passport stamps will remain a backup, as you may enter from a point where biometrics have been enabled and exit where they have not.
Why Is Europe Introducing The EES System?
The official reasoning for this alter and the new process is quite simple: EES is designed to improve border security within the EU and its neighboring countries, and reduce illegal migration in the Schengen area. It addresses the gaps in tracking overstays, which have been a significant concern for member states of the EU for years. Also, digital records are more accurate, harder to forge, and quicker to retrieve than manual stamps. The EES is also expected to shorten waits at the border by enabling quicker checks and allowing passengers to provide their information in advance.
Europe’s adoption of applying biometrics at the border is not the first, as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and several Asian countries have already been collecting some form of fingerprint or facial data at their borders for some time. It was due to come into effect last November, but has been impacted by technological delays.
After the recent confirmation of the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System), a type of entest permit that requires Americans and Canadians to pay three times the fee to travel to any countest within the EU’s Schengen area, Europe is now introducing the digitalized EES system as part of a broader tightening of entest rules from countries like America & Canada. ETIAS and EES are separate programs, but they work in tandem. EES tracks when you enter and leave, while ETIAS screens travelers before they arrive.
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