The EU Entry/Exit System, tracked live.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an EU-wide digital border system that replaces passport stamping for non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area for short stays. It records each traveler’s name, passport data, date and place of entry and exit, and biometric data (four fingerprints plus a facial image) at a self-service kiosk or staffed booth on first entry.

EES was phased in starting 12 October 2025 and became fully operational across all 29 Schengen countries on 10 April 2026. From that date, every external Schengen border — air, land, and sea — is required to register non-EU short-stay travelers in EES.

EES applies to non-EU nationals travelling to the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. That includes visa-exempt nationalities (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and others) as well as short-stay Schengen visa holders.

EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and Swiss citizens are exempt. Also exempt: holders of long-stay (national) visas, holders of EU residence permits, diplomats and service-passport holders on official travel, NATO SOFA-status personnel, stateless persons with refugee travel documents, and holders of local border traffic permits.

Yes for the biographic and exit check — but only the first entry requires full biometric enrolment. On subsequent entries within the 3-year retention window, the system reuses your stored biometrics; most airports use facial recognition at a fast lane, which typically completes in 30–60 seconds.

Typically 3 to 7 minutes per traveler on first entry, depending on the airport, kiosk availability, and language selection. Families and groups should expect longer total times. Airports with pre-registration apps (Finland, Netherlands, some French terminals) can shorten this to under 2 minutes.