EES travel checklist

Everything to sort before and during your first trip under the EU Entry/Exit System. Tick items off as you go — your progress is saved on this device.

0 of 15 done · reset · print

Before you book

• Check your passport is a biometric (chipped) passport and valid for your whole trip.
• Confirm you're a non-EU national subject to EES — EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and EU residence-permit holders are exempt.
• Count your Schengen days with the 90/180 calculator so you don't risk an overstay.
• Check whether ETIAS applies to your trip (a separate online authorisation, expected from late 2026).

Before you fly

• Check the EES status and typical queues at your arrival airport.
• See the live wait times and the worst-queue airports to plan buffer time.
• Consider the official Travel to Europe app to pre-register your passport + photo (where supported).
• Allow extra time — arrive 3–4 hours early for your first EES trip; first-entry enrolment is the slow part.
• Have proof of onward travel and accommodation ready in case an officer asks.
• Travelling with children under 12? They give a facial image but skip fingerprints — use family lanes where available.

At the EES kiosk

• Follow signs for "Non-EU / EES registration" — kiosks are usually before the staffed booths.
• Scan your passport, give four fingerprints and a facial image (first entry only).
• Returning within 3 years? Your biometrics are reused — expect well under a minute at the e-gates.
• Keep the printed entry receipt until you leave the Schengen Area. No passport stamp is added.
• Never refuse biometrics — it's grounds for entry refusal. Flag any medical issue to the officer instead.