The Entry-Exit System (EES) is a new EU digital border control system that requires non-EU citizens, including all British passport holders since Brexit, to register biometric data when entering and leaving the Schengen Area. It began phasing in from October 2025 and became fully operational on Friday 10 April 2026.
The EES replaces the old passport stamp method and aims to track entries and exits, flag overstayers, and enhance security. The European Commission says it has already registered over 56 million border crossings and denied entry to 28,500 people, with 700 identified as security threats.
On their first encounter with the new EES, British travellers over the age of 12 will need to register four fingerprints from their right hand and a facial biometric. Once registered, on subsequent encounters they will be asked to supply one biometric when entering and leaving the Schengen area – most likely their facial biometric.
While this new system brings safety and security, it is also considerably slower. On Sunday 12 April, more than 100 passengers, heading to Manchester from Milan, missed their easyJet flight after being stuck in border control queues for up to three hours. easyJet held the flight for an extra 50 minutes after the scheduled departure, but ultimately had to depart, with the plane at around one-fifth capacity. On Thursday 16 April, a Ryanair flight, also from Milan to Manchester, left without 30 of their passengers.
Despite the six-month roll-out leading up to the launch of the new system, the long-planned European Travel Information and Authorisation System, Etias, is unlikely to be in effect before the end of 2026, despite pledges that it will be.
Another issue travellers are experiencing with the new EES, is that each of the involved countries is introducing the system in their own way. These range from a single airport in Luxembourg, to dozens of airports, ferry ports, road and rail borders in France, Greece, Poland and Spain. There are also some problems being reported regarding the EES kiosks struggling to connect to the central database.