Overview

• The Entry/Exit System takes effect on October 12, 2025 with a progressive deployment over six months and full generalisation planned for April 10, 2026.
• The rules cover non‑EU nationals on short stays across the 29 Schengen states, with Ireland and Cyprus excluded and holders of residence permits or long‑stay visas not concerned.
• Manual passport stamping is replaced by collection of fingerprints, a facial photo, passport details, entry and exit timestamps, and any refusal‑of‑entry records.
• France begins activation at about 120 sites across airports, ports and international train stations, supported by pre‑enrolment kiosks to speed processing.
• Authorities anticipate longer queues and can temporarily suspend biometric capture at saturated checkpoints; most reports cite a three‑year data‑retention period, though one outlet reports up to five years for biometrics.