Overview

• Initial deployment started on October 12 at selected external border points, with Germany launching at Düsseldorf airport and larger hubs such as Frankfurt and Munich to follow.
• The system registers non‑EU short‑stay travelers by capturing four fingerprints, a facial image, and travel/passport data, typically retained for about three years with access for national authorities and Europol.
• Passport stamping continues in parallel during the transition, and the scheme will cover 29 Schengen participants once fully operational, excluding Ireland and Cyprus.
• Airlines, airports and authorities warn of longer processing times—ranging from roughly 40% longer to possible tripling in some scenarios—while mitigations include self‑service kiosks, pre‑registration apps and temporary suspension clauses for bottlenecks.
• Civil‑liberties groups criticize the creation of a massive centralized biometric database and raise privacy and governance concerns tied to the scale and access rules.