NEWS FLASH
The European Union will introduce its long-announced Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU citizens on October 12, which will be phased in across all EU members, as well as Iceland; Liechtenstein; Norway and Switzerland, by April 10, 2026. The EES will replace stamps in physical passports by digitally registering the data of non-EU citizens. Travellers will be required to submit fingerprint and face biometrics on their first crossing, while subsequent EES crossings will only require a passport scan at a self-serve kiosk to match the ID document against enrolled biometric data.
It should be noted that this development is separate from the forthcoming launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which has now been delayed until the last quarter of 2026. It will require visitors from 59 visa-free countries to apply for authorisation ahead of travel to thirty European nations, and to pay a fee once every three years.
Used to love collecting those stamps :)
ReplyDeleteI travelled with my EU passport at least 7-8 times per year, yet to receive a stamp in my passport. everything is electronic these days.
DeleteBecause it's an EU passport...
DeleteThis should make it quicker to pass immigration right? Since we will just scan passports?
ReplyDelete" Travellers will be required to submit fingerprint and face biometrics on their first crossing"
Delete^ So after that first time it should be quick.
DeleteWill this mean that, e.g., Serbian passport holders, once their biometrics are collected, will be able to cross Schengen borders using self-service kiosks only without the need for an “interview” with immigration officers? Or will it be reserved for some nationals only (e.g., US, UK, etc.)?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is for Serbian passport holders too and all those not requiring visa. This allows them to register how many days you have been in the EU. Up until now the only way was to count your passport stamps.
DeleteI think it will be posible, but the kiosks will not be the same for EU citizens and non-EU citizens.
DeleteThey shouldn't be. EU passport holders will have faster access. Just like UK passport holders have faster access through UK airports and US passport holders have faster access through US airports.
DeleteThe kiosks will be absolutely the same, the rate of manual passport check referral might be higher for non-EU citizens
DeleteImmigration control remains for non-EU/EEA/CH passports. Just the stamps will be replaced.
DeleteNo
DeleteActually, I’ve just found on the European Commission website that the kiosks will just help collect the data and register. The “interviews” with immigration officers remain in place when crossing borders.
ReplyDeleteI have travelled at least 50 times to the EU and no one has ever interviewed me.
DeletePresume that interview means when border police asks what is purpose of visit or similar stuff
DeleteThose are also rare for Western Balkan travelers. However the whole point of this is actually to use the self-service kiosks as well as properly count the 90/180 rule across EU.
DeleteThis system will only work properly on airports, where self-service kiosks are/will be installed. Crossing border with cars and busses will create a mess, because every passenger, even the once already "in the system", i.e. with data enrolled in the EES, will have to "verify fingerprints and photo by the passport control officers", meaning that each and every time when crossing the Schengen border, your passport, face and/or fingerprints must be scanned! That means to leave the car, approach the camera and fingerprint scanning device, have your passport scanned and go back to your car! One by one. This system will create a chaos never seen on our already overcrowded border crossing towards EU :(
ReplyDeleteI think you are not far from the truth.
DeleteThey will postpone it again and again and again indefinitely. They are not capable to apply system
ReplyDeleteHopefully!
DeleteWhat if you're non-EU citizen but have the EU country residence card? (ie legally live and work in an EU country)....Also how about kids, here where we live they don't give cards to under 18s (they do give an approval letter to stay and go to school)
ReplyDeleteThen they probably would be best not to risk travelling away from their country of residence. Especially if they have kids.
DeleteEU passport holders and legal residents do not undergo the data collection procedure or passport scanning. They just pass via EU passports lane as they have done so far. This is only for visa free travellers like US, UK, Balkans, Singapore, Japan and so on
DeleteThe question was about NON EU passport holders, but legal residents of some EU country. They don't have to register with biometric data, but they cannot use EU lane, so they will be treated as 3rd world. However, you have to show your residence card/ visa.
DeleteI live in Austria with Serbian passport, i was the only one who couldn’t use scanner each time at HU border since they still have to stamp my passport for residence permit extension purposes.
DeleteShame.
ReplyDeleteThose stamps are a souvenir.
+1
Deleteits just going to discourage visitors to the EU.
ReplyDeleteSo, people will stop traveling to EU because of a procedure that will take 2-3 min?!
DeleteYes, 2/3 min it’s to much
DeleteMadness of EU bureaucrats is endless. I really hope that Serbian government will introduce exactly the same amount of harassment to EU citizens on Serbian borders.
ReplyDeleteThat would not help Serbia in the slightest....
Delete8:39 it is delusional to believe small countries like Serbia can use reciprocal measures and expect positive outcome.
Delete12:25 agreed totally. The 08:39 comment is the realm of angry uninformed comment.
DeleteNot for EU, but for UK definitely and without a single hesitation. At least visa on arrival, costing the same as their visa, with the prior travel authorization, until they abolish visas. Only somebody in charge has to think of it...
ReplyDeleteNo one is forcing you to go to UK.
DeleteAlso wouldn't do anything to help Serbia by doing that to the UK. Better that the government lobbies the UK to abolish the visa - which they don't. Reciprocal systems don't work when one party is far larger and actually does provide a level of tourism soft-power inbound to Serbia that is very helpful in promoting the country and fun and friendly. By putting visas on the UK, Serbia would see tourism drop from the UK to almost nil and do nothing for building links.
DeleteMany groups lobbied, including both previous Governments until 2012 and Serbian diaspora living in the UK, and nothing ever happened.
DeleteTourism from UK to Serbia is nearly negligible. For the record, according to the TOB official data, number of tourists that visited Belgrade from UK in 2024 was 12.276, which represents 1.8% of total number of tourists from that year.
at 13:55 "Tourism from UK to Serbia is nearly negligible" You are incorrect on this, and furthermore British tourists are relatively high spending. From the Vlada Serbia website:
Delete"Statistical data show that in the period from January to September 2024, 30,416 tourists from Great Britain visited Serbia."
I personally lobbied for the visa issue and i really hope one day it is removed. But you must realise that Serbia putting Visa's on the UK would be amongst the most stupid of moves it could do in this period where tourism and mobility is key. Yes its sad that the UK doesn't engage with the region more, however it doesn't mean Serbia would achieve anything by being equally regressive.
at 16:40 It is official data from TOB for Belgrade, as mentioned, not entire Serbia. Let's agree that we disagree on this topic, and that is fine... All the best.
DeleteWe might disagree indeed. But your views are not based in reality or sense and clearly from a point of deep frustration. All the best.
DeleteWelcome to the era of digital slavery.
ReplyDeleteDear tinfoil hat enthusiast, please explain how this is any more "digital slavery" than the data that's already encoded in your passport?
DeleteAnon: 09:15 consinders sending an E-mail instead of a letter also digital slavery. Also booking flight online instead of at the airline´s town office.
DeleteOr writing this comment
DeleteCant wait for Evzoni border next summer. Itll be fun.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteRoasting eggs fun on 40+ degrees heat that is. And yeah nobody will do it before summer hits. They'll all save it for the bing bang in the summer time.
DeleteIt will be painful in next few years, we'll see how that goes
ReplyDelete