British News Agency

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will be introduced ahead of school holidays and will affect all tourists and business travelers from outside the EU, including Britons.

The EU stated, “Starting from October 12, member states will gradually implement the EES over a six-month period. Border authorities will progressively record the data of third-country nationals crossing borders. At the end of this period, the EES will be fully deployed at all border crossing points.”

The biometric data collection plan is part of the broader “Smart Borders” initiative, which aims to speed up entry for frequent travelers and combat irregular migration.

Travelers will be required to verify either their fingerprints or facial image when crossing a border for the first time—but not both.

Once fully operational, British tourists and other non-EU visitors will no longer receive passport stamps.

The system will also allow the EU to instantly determine whether a traveler has overstayed.

The European Commission stated, “This is an advanced technological system that digitally records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals traveling short-term to 29 European countries, including Schengen members. It will gradually replace the current passport stamping system by collecting biometric data such as fingerprints, facial images, and travel information.”

EES requirements will not apply to those holding residence permits and passports from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, or their family members.