Overview
- The Entry/Exit System (EES), which became fully operational on 10 April 2026, replaces passport stamps by taking fingerprints and a facial photo to record non‑EU arrivals and departures.
- The system has failed to log some departures, a problem documented by consumer group Which? and reported by affected travellers who were incorrectly marked as overstayers.
- Author Jojo Moyes told border officials in Marseille she faced a €10,000 fine and a possible two‑year ban after an exit from Portugal in May was not recorded, and she has engaged a lawyer to amend her record.
- The European Commission has launched legal action against contractors including IBM over the troubled rollout while the UK Foreign Office is raising individual inaccuracies with the Commission, and travellers are urged to check EES records online and keep proof of departure.
- Errors are already causing detention, missed travel and legal costs for people who must contact national data controllers or border authorities to correct records, and the EU lawsuits could force technical fixes and faster data‑correction procedures.