EES and ETIAS explained

If you are not an EU citizen and you visit most of Europe for a short trip, two EU systems now matter to you. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is already running: since 10 April 2026 it is fully operational at all external border crossing points of the 29 European countries that use it, and it registers your face and fingerprints instead of stamping your passport. ETIAS, the online travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is a different thing and is not live yet. As of 19 October 2026 the official ETIAS website says it is not in operation and no applications are collected, and the EU says it is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026.

This guide uses only official EU sources.

What the EES is

The EU describes the EES as “an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay” each time they cross the external borders of the countries using it. It records your name, travel document data, fingerprints, facial image, and the date and place of each entry and exit. It also records refusals of entry. The European Commission says that as of 10 April 2026 the EES replaces passport stamping and allows automatic detection of overstayers.

For the EES, a “non-EU national” is anyone who is not a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. It applies whether you need a short-stay visa or travel visa-free.

EES status and key dates

Date	What happened (official source)
30 July 2025	The Commission set 12 October 2025 as the launch date for the progressive start of the EES
12 October 2025	Progressive start: border points phased in the system over six months
9 April 2026	End of the progressive period
10 April 2026	EES fully operational at all external border crossing points; manual passport stamping abolished

During the six-month rollout, countries introduced the parts of the system in phases, so your fingerprints and photo may not have been taken on every crossing. That phase is over.

Which countries use the EES

The EES applies at the external borders of these 29 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Two EU countries are not on the list. The EU says that in Cyprus and Ireland, passports will still be stamped manually.

What happens at the border

Photo by Joao Vitor Marcilio on Unsplash

Your first crossing since the EES started. You give your personal data, and officers take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. Your passport is not stamped. You can speed this up with a self-service kiosk where one is available, or with a mobile app if the country you arrive in or leave from offers one. Either way, you still meet a passport control officer.

Later crossings. Your photo and fingerprints are already on file, so officers only verify them. If you hold a biometric passport, you may be able to use the self-service system and often will not need to see an officer if your file is clear.

What is stored depends on your status:

• Visa-exempt travellers: four fingerprints and a facial image.
• Short-stay visa holders: a facial image only, because fingerprints were taken for the visa.
• Children under 12: fingerprints are currently not scanned, even if the child is covered by the EES.

You do not need a biometric passport to enter. The EU says both biometric and non-biometric passports are accepted if they are valid and you meet the other entry conditions. You only need a biometric passport to use the self-service kiosks. All other entry conditions still apply, and officers can ask questions or retake your photo at any time.

Who the EES does not apply to

The EU lists these exemptions, among others:

• Citizens of the 29 EES countries, Cyprus and Ireland.
• Non-EU nationals with a residence card who are immediate family of an EU citizen.
• Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas.
• Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and holders of a Vatican City State or Holy See passport.
• People exempt from border checks or given certain privileges, such as heads of state and accredited diplomats.
• Holders of a valid local border traffic permit.

For UK nationals living in the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement, the exemption only applies if you hold one of the specific Withdrawal Agreement residence documents. Check the full list on the official page if you think you qualify.

The 90/180-day rule the EES tracks

A short stay means up to 90 days within any 180-day period, counted as one total across all the EES countries. A week in France and two weeks in Italy both come out of the same 90 days.

The EES now counts this for you. You can check your remaining days with the official “Check how long you can stay” tool on travel-europe.europa.eu, at some border kiosks, or by asking a passport control officer. The tool asks for the country you are visiting, your travel document type, number and issuing country code, and your planned dates.

Two limits to know about, as stated on the tool’s page:

• The remaining stay it shows does not count any time in the Schengen area that began before 10 April 2026.
• Until 6 October 2026, the “OK” answer could be unreliable for single or double-entry visa holders who used entries between 12 October 2025 and 9 April 2026.

If you try to enter after already using 90 days in 180, the EU says you will be refused entry and the refusal is registered. Staying longer can lead to return procedures, and an entry ban that in principle does not exceed five years.

ETIAS: status as of October 2026

ETIAS is a travel authorisation, not a visa, for visa-free travellers visiting 30 European countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The 30 are the 29 EES countries plus Cyprus.

• Status: On 19 October 2026 the official ETIAS site says: “ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.” The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch.
• Expected start: A 14 April 2025 EU news item says EU Home Affairs Ministers endorsed a revised timeline on 5 March 2025, with ETIAS “expected to follow in the last quarter of 2026”. The 16 April 2026 news item for UK travellers repeats “the last quarter of this year”.
• Phased start: After launch comes a transitional period of at least six months, when travellers should apply but those without ETIAS will not be refused entry if they meet the other conditions. Then a grace period of at least six months, when ETIAS is required except for people entering for the first time since the transitional period ended.
• Fee: EUR 20 (as of October 2026), up from EUR 7, per the EU’s 21 July 2025 announcement. Applicants under 18 or over 70 are among those exempt from paying.
• Validity: Three years or until the passport used in the application expires, whichever comes first (EU news item, 6 July 2026).
• Processing: Most applications will be processed within minutes, but some can take up to 30 days, for example if you are invited to an interview. Apply well before your trip.
• No biometrics: ETIAS does not collect biometric data. That happens at the border through the EES.

Who will need ETIAS

Nationals of 59 visa-exempt countries and territories, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. Check your nationality on the official “Who should apply” page.

You will not need ETIAS if you are a citizen of one of the 30 countries or Ireland (dual nationals must travel on that passport), if you need a visa anyway, or if you hold a residence card or residence permit from one of the ETIAS countries. Permits from Cyprus and Ireland have exceptions. Airlines, cruise lines and other carriers will check for a valid ETIAS before boarding. UK travellers taking trains or ferries from the UK will be checked before boarding too.

How to avoid unofficial ETIAS sites

The EU warns that there are dozens of unofficial ETIAS websites. Some give wrong information, some use the EU logo illegally, and some already collect personal data. Some falsely claim to accept ETIAS applications or charge higher fees.

• Apply only on the official website, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias (also reached through europa.eu/etias), or the official ETIAS mobile app, and only once ETIAS has started.
• All official EU websites use the europa.eu domain.
• Travel agents and other intermediaries may apply for you, but the EU does not license them, and anything above the official fee goes to the intermediary.
• Right now, any site taking ETIAS applications or payments is not the official system.

Before you travel

Check your nationality’s rules on the official pages, count your days with the EES tool, and leave extra time at the airport on your first entry. For the rest of your trip, see our travel packing checklist, the best travel apps, what to do if you lose your passport abroad, and our eSIMs for Europe comparison.