Passport control in Europe is about to look a whole lot different.
In less than two weeks, the EU’s new digital border control system will start rolling out.
The Entry/Exit System, commonly known as ESS, applies to non-EU nationals travelling in the Schengen Area — the border-free zone covering29 European countries.
Non-EU nationals will need to hand over biometric data, such as fingerprints and a photo. The idea is that scrapping manual passport stamps will speed up border checks and catch fraud.
The new system will replace manual passport stamping — the idea being that it will speed up border checks and better detect fraud.
The EES rolls out on 12 October 2025, but so far, only two countries are ready to implement it: Estonia and Luxembourg.
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The Baltic country will be the first to switch. A spokesperson for Estonia said that all the ‘border control points will start using EES from day one.’
This includes Tallinn Airport, the country’s largest international airport, just a few minutes outside the capital.
Neil Taylor, author of the Bradt guide to Estonia, said Estonia is ‘ahead of the pack, as it was with visa abolition for most Europeans in the early 1990s.’
‘Given that Tallinn airport prides itself on speedy but secure border controls, Brits should still find Tallinn airport one of the easiest to use, both on arrival and on departure.’
As for Luxembourg — which revealed last year it was on course for the launch — the system will ‘enter into operation at Luxembourg Airport on 12 October 2025’, a spokesperson told The Luxembourg Times.
‘The cost of pre-registration and registration equipment, as well as related IT developments for the Findel border crossing point, amounts to approximately €1 million,’ they added.
For the other 27 nations, EES is set to be introduced in waves until every border is covered. Major airports will likely implement the system first.
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What is EES?
The EES is a new digital passport of sorts for the Schengen zone.
Non-EU nationals, including British citizens, who enter the Schengen zone for short stays will be required to register.
When the EES is rolled out, you will need to create a digital record on ‘your first visit to the Schengen area at the port or airport on arrival’, according to the UK government website.
There will be dedicated booths where you can take photos and fingerprints.
You don’t need to take any action before arriving at the border. EES registration is also free.
There are concerns that the new system will initially lead to longer queues.So, be prepared to wait at the border, especially during busy periods.
Your information, including your fingerprints and photograph, will be stored for three years.
The government website states that if you ‘enter the Schengen area again during this time, you will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border, when you enter and exit.’ Passports won’t need to be shown.
What other countries will introduce EES?
25 EU member states plus four non-EU countries: Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
The full list is as follows:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
