The European Union has begun rolling out a new electronic border control system known as the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The scheme requires citizens from non-EU countries to register by scanning their passports, providing fingerprints, and having their photograph taken upon entry.
“Every third-country national crossing the EU’s external borders will undergo identity verification, security checks and registration in EU databases,” explained Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration.
The aim is to curb illegal immigration and identity fraud. All EU member states will implement the system, with the exception of Ireland, Cyprus, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
“The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European framework on migration and asylum,” Brunner added.
The system is set to become fully operational on 10 April 2026, when traditional passport stamps will be replaced by electronic records.
