Overview

• From 12 October, passport stamps are replaced by digital registration for non‑EU short‑stay visitors at external Schengen borders, with EU citizens unaffected.
• Initial pilots are active at Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino, with trials extending to the ports of Civitavecchia and Genoa.
• Roughly 10% of eligible travelers will undergo biometric checks from 20 October, with progressive expansion mandated under Regulation (EU) 2025/1534.
• EES records passport data plus fingerprints and facial images, is centrally managed by eu‑LISA in Tallinn, and typically retains entry/exit records for about three years, with fingerprinting exempt for children under 12.
• The system is part of a broader border‑management overhaul that will include ETIAS travel authorization from 2026, expected to cost about €20 with exemptions for minors and over‑70s.