Europe has finally launched its long-awaited automated Entry/Exit System (EES), which will require most non-EU travelers to register their biometric data before entering Europe’s passport-free Schengen area. Upon entering the Schengen area, which includes 29 European countries, travelers will have their faces photographed and fingerprints scanned before being allowed entry. Refusal to submit biometric data will result in denied entry. The EES launched on October 12th and is scheduled to be fully operational by April 10th, 2026. By that date, “all non-EU nationals entering the Schengen area for the first time will need to register their personal data,” Euractiv stated. The system will also record refusals of entry. The new Entry/Exit System (EES) is live Allows for faster checks at borders for non-EU travellers while preventing irregular migration & identity fraud Europol may also access EES to help fighting against terrorism & serious crime Lean more: https://t.co/zAwNgwWVxt pic.twitter.com/YWKcWBVphi — Europol (@Europol) October 13, 2025 The Guardian has more: The EES applies to the Schengen area, which comprises 25 of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It includes countries where British people travel to frequently for holidays such as Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and Italy. The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen area and so will continue to process passports as before. The EES applies to people who are not from an EU country or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – although there are some exceptions such as people who have long-stay visas, among others. When someone arrives at the border for the first time after the EES is in place, they will use a self-service screen to register their name, passport details, fingerprints, and the date and place of entry and exit. The machine will photograph their face. Children under 12 will not have their fingerprints scanned. When people first come into contact with the EES depends on where they are travelling to and when. “The EES is a new digital border control system being rolled out across the EU starting in October 2025, with full implementation by April 2026.  It replaces traditional passport stamping with a secure process that records biometric data… including fingerprint scan.” pic.twitter.com/Nzw29E0rUF — Just.A.Thought (@e_galv) September 24, 2025 Euractiv noted: “The EES is the digital backbone of our new common European framework on migration and asylum,” said European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. The EES has been in the works since April 2016, with a planned rollout for 2022, but its implementation has faced repeated delays. Its introduction will also pave the way for the EU’s new travel authorisation system (ETIAS) for non-EU visitors, set to launch in 2025. Watch additional coverage below: