01/10/2025
OCTOBER 12TH THE NEW EES SYSTEM BEGINS
From 12 October 2025, the European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) will begin. This is a new digital border system that will change requirements for British citizens travelling to the Schengen area.
The countries in the Schengen area are:
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, and Switzerland.
When you are travelling to a Schengen area using a UK passport on or after the 12th October 2025, you will be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive at the airport. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.
After it is fully implemented, EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU.
There are two parts to the EES. The first part will take place on your first visit to a Schengen area for the very first time on or after the 12th October 2025.
On arrival for the first time you will need to create a digital record at the airport on arrival using one of the dedicated biometric machines at the airport. The machine will guide you and give you instructions on the screen.
1. You will be instructed to place your passport face down so it can scan your passport.
2. It will then ask you to take a photo and maybe instruct you to remove hats; glasses etc and ask you to look into the camera while it takes a photo image.
3. In the final stage, you will be instructed to place your fingers on the pad and it will record your finger prints.
This process has to be done for every passenger entering the country but children aged 12 and under won’t have to do their fingerprints.
If there are any issues with the machines or you are having an issue using the machines airport personnel will be available to give assistance.
The second part is for your second and subsequent visit to a Schengen area. Your entry should then be seamless and very fast. Once you have been registered in the EU system for the first time you are free to visit any Schengen country and you should only have to place your passport on the machine to scan. The machine will check your face to confirm you are the passport holder and the gates will then open allowing you entry.
This should then be significantly quicker than the present system.
You will not need to provide any information before travelling to a Schengen area country. If you are flying to a country in the Schengen area, you will complete EES checks when you arrive at your destination. The checks may take a few minutes, so be prepared to wait during busy times.
Attached are some photos of the biometric machines. They should be easy and straight forward to use. Clear instructions will be shown on the screen and where to place your passport and fingers is clearly shown.
The EES is totally unrelated to the ETIAS system which is a new visa waiver expected to start in the last quarter of 2026. We will issue more information on the ETIAS system nearer the time in 2026.
