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If you have ever travelled to Europe, you are probably familiar with passport stamps at border control. Well, that is about to change. The European Union (EU) is introducing a new Entry/Exit System (EES), which will replace traditional passport stamping with a fully digital system.
The EES is an automated system that will register non-EU travellers entering and exiting the Schengen Area. It will record biometric data, like fingerprints and facial scans, along with travel details, such as date and place of entry and exit. This system is meant to improve security, reduce illegal overstays, and speed up border control.
With the EES, border officials will no longer stamp passports at entry and exit points. Instead, all travel records will be stored electronically. This means that officials can track travel history more accurately, reducing errors.
It is also good for travellers as you won’t have to worry about stamps fading over time or missing an important stamp that proves your entry or exit. Since everything is digital, border control can also process travellers more quickly, cutting down on long lines and delays.
If you are a non-EU traveller, you probably know about the 90/180 rule, which means you can only stay in the Schengen Area for 90 days within any 180-day period. Until now, border officials relied on passport stamps to check this, but with EES, everything will be tracked electronically.
If a traveller overstays, the system will flag them automatically, making it much harder to go unnoticed. Repeated overstays could have consequences like fines, being banned from entering the Schengen Area, or even having future visa applications denied.
Since the system will be stricter and more accurate, travellers will need to be extra careful about counting their days and making sure they leave before their allowed time runs out.
While the new system will require travellers to scan fingerprints and take a photo at entry, in the long run, border crossings should be much faster. Automated kiosks and e-gates will replace manual passport stamping, which means travellers won’t have to wait as long in queues at busy airports and land borders.
Once everything is fully implemented and travellers get used to the system, moving through border control should become quicker and more efficient. The process will be much smoother because of reduced delays that are usually caused by manual document checks.
Many people confuse EES with ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System), but they are different. The EES is a digital border control system for all non-EU travellers, replacing passport stamps with biometric data.
ETIAS, on the other hand, is a travel authorisation for visitors from visa-exempt countries, like the U.S., UK, and Canada. Travellers who need an ETIAS to visit Europe will still have to go through the EES process at the border.
This means if you are from a visa-free country, you will still eventually need both ETIAS and EES to travel to the Schengen Area.
The new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will replace passport stamps with a fully digital border control process. While this will mean faster, more secure border crossings in the long run, travellers should be prepared for initial changes, such as biometric data collection. If you are planning a trip to Europe, make sure you are aware of these changes and keep an eye on updates.
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