The new European Entry/Exit System (EES) will begin operating on Sunday, October 12, reports The Mirror.
This new system, which will impact millions globally, will be active across 25 EU countries and four non-EU countries.
The EES aims to eliminate the need for stamping passports. Instead, passport holders will be required to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs, reports The Mirror.
Additionally, passport holders will have their entry and exit dates digitally recorded. The system is believed to target individuals abusing the 90/180 day rule.
The positive news is that the EES does not apply to Irish passport holders nor to nationals of European countries participating in the EES. Citizens of Cyprus will also be exempt, reports The Mirror.
The EES is an automated IT system used to register non-EU nationals travelling for short stays each time they cross the external borders of any European country using the system.
For EES purposes, a ‘non-EU national’ refers to a traveller who does not hold citizenship of any European Union country or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, reports The Mirror.
‘Short stay’ refers to up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This timeframe is counted as one continuous period across all European countries using the EES.
Complete list of EES countries:
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- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
* Ireland and Cyprus will keep stamping passports manually.
Non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay to an EES country—such as British passport holders, reports The Mirror.
Who is excluded from the EES?
- Nationals of European countries participating in the EES, plus Cyprus and Ireland
- Non-EU nationals with a residence card who are immediate family members of an EU national
- Non-EU nationals holding a residence card or permit who are immediate family of a non-EU national entitled to travel freely in Europe like an EU citizen
- Non-EU nationals visiting Europe for intra-corporate transfers, research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchanges, educational projects, or au-pairing
- Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas
- Nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and holders of passports issued by Vatican City State or the Holy See
- People exempt from border checks or granted special privileges related to border control (e.g., heads of state, accredited diplomats, cross-border workers). Diplomats on short stays might be exempt under certain conditions. The EES registration exemption also covers armed forces members on NATO or Partnership for Peace missions with appropriate documentation, potentially extending to civilian components or dependents under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement.
- Individuals not required to cross external borders exclusively at official crossing points during set hours
- Holders of valid local border traffic permits
- Crew of passenger and freight trains on international routes
- Holders of valid Facilitated Rail Transit or Facilitated Transit Documents, provided travel is by train without disembarking within an EU Member State
When does the EES start?
Sunday, October 12, 2025.
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