Overview

• Initial activation begins on October 12 with trials at Madrid–Barajas Airport under Spain’s National Police, launching a six‑month EU-wide rollout.
• Deployment will progress from airports to land borders and then ports, and passport stamping will continue during the transition period.
• The system registers passport details plus a facial image and fingerprints for short‑stay third‑country travellers; children under 12 are photographed but not fingerprinted and certain categories are exempt.
• EU authorities say data will be encrypted and access‑controlled, while European privacy and human‑rights bodies caution about risks such as bias and false negatives and urge strong safeguards.
• Travellers who refuse to provide biometrics can be denied entry, and full operation across the 29‑country Schengen area is targeted for April 10, 2026, with ETIAS planned to follow later in 2026.