Overview

• Most non‑EU visitors must have a facial photo and fingerprints captured at first entry to create a digital record that replaces passport stamping over time.
• Registrations are free, remain valid for three years or until the passport expires, and travellers who refuse biometrics can be denied entry; children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting.
• The system applies at external borders of 29 Schengen countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and does not apply in Ireland or Cyprus.
• Some checks for UK departures are conducted before travel at Dover, Folkestone/Eurotunnel and London St Pancras, with kiosks operating for selected passengers during the early phase.
• Authorities are scaling up gradually and can pause checks to ease congestion, as travel bodies warn of longer waits in the early weeks and advise allowing extra time at busy airports; the rollout underpins the ETIAS authorisation planned for 2026 with a small fee.