Overview

• The Entry/Exit System replaces manual passport stamps with a digital record for non‑EU short‑stay travellers, collecting passport data plus a facial image and fingerprints at first enrolment.
• Implementation runs for six months across 29 Schengen and associated countries, with passport stamping continuing until full operation on 10 April 2026.
• Day‑one activity is limited and uneven: Czechia, Estonia and Luxembourg will check all travellers, while Spain starts with one Madrid flight, Germany begins at Dusseldorf, Greece launches at Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes and Herakleion, Portugal activates all external crossings on a phased schedule, and Switzerland starts at Basel and Geneva.
• French border checks on UK soil will phase in too: Dover and Eurotunnel begin with coaches and freight on 12 October before cars from 1 November, and Eurostar trials checks for business and frequent travellers first with wider rollout from January 2026.
• Authorities and travel bodies advise allowing extra time as first‑time checks may add one to two minutes per passenger; refusal to give biometrics can mean denied entry, and records are retained for around three years with controlled access for border and law‑enforcement agencies including Europol.