Navigating the New Entry/Exit System (EES): A Traveller’s Essential Guide
Europe trips are getting a little smarter. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is replacing old-school passport stamps with a quick biometric check the first time you arrive after launch. Think scan, snap, fingers, done. It sounds technical, but it’s very doable with the right prep. In true Travel Tinker style, here’s a no-faff guide to keep you cool at the border: what you’ll see, who needs it, how to avoid daft delays, and a couple of small tables you can paste into your notes. Ready to keep Navigating the New EES simple, calm and queue-proof? Let’s go. ✈️
Navigating the New EES and the EU entry / exit System: the short version
EES is a digital record of your ins and outs across the Schengen Area. On your first visit after launch you’ll enrol once by scanning your passport, taking a quick photo, and placing four flat fingers on a reader if you’re visa-exempt. Future trips are quicker because your details are already stored. It’s essentially a smarter stamp that also helps track short-stay limits without any mental maths. Expect it at airports, ports and certain rail terminals that run Schengen controls before boarding. I’m personally gutted there will be no more stamps in my passport! ✈️
At a glance:
- Who: Non-EU/Schengen visitors on short stays
- Where: Schengen airports, ports, rail terminals and juxtaposed controls
- When: First trip after launch, then faster next time
- What you do: Scan passport → camera photo → four fingers
- Time at kiosk: Usually a couple of minutes once it’s your turn
- Result: No stamp, clean digital record that tracks 90/180
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Document | Scan the photo page of your passport |
| Face | Look at the camera for a quick image |
| Fingers | Place four flat fingers on the scanner (visa-exempt travellers) |
| Record | System logs your entry for the 90/180 rule |
| Cost | €0 for EES itself |
| Kids | Under-12s are not fingerprinted |
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Love a souvenir stamp? Snap your boarding pass or a quick selfie at the kiosk instead.
💡 More info & Official Website: EES Homepage
🗺️ Related Article: How to Get Through the Airport Quickly: Expert Tips for Savvy Travellers
Who EES applies to (and who it doesn’t)
EES is for non-EU/Schengen visitors coming in for short stays. That includes UK, US, Canadian, Australian and other visa-exempt travellers, plus those on short-stay visas. It doesn’t apply to EU or Schengen citizens, and it generally doesn’t apply to people with EU residence permits or long-stay visas. If you live in the EU, carry your residence card so staff can route you to the correct lane.
👉 Good to know: Mixed groups are common. Residents and long-stayers can often use a different channel, while short-stay visitors enrol in EES. Keep documents handy so you don’t all queue for the same thing.
🗺️ Related article: Delayed or Cancelled Flight? Here’s How to Get Paid
Where it applies: the 29 countries
This is the set that will use EES at their external borders (plus UK juxtaposed controls when you’re outbound via Eurostar, Dover or LeShuttle).
| Group | Countries |
|---|---|
| EU Schengen members (25) | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden |
| Associated non-EU states (4) | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland |
💡 Fact: Ireland isn’t in Schengen, so EES won’t show up at Irish border control.
🗺️ Guide Worth Your Attention: Why Booking ABTA and ATOL Protected Holidays Is Your Smartest Travel Decision
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The rollout: what to expect in the first months
Big systems bed in gradually. Expect a phased start, with some locations adding more kiosks, assisted lanes and staff as they learn the flow. In the early months, you might still spot manual stamps or mixed procedures while everything settles. Peak days and busy school holidays can feel slower, but the process itself is short once you’re at the kiosk.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Build a small buffer into your connection or onward plans in the first season after launch. Calm travellers make better decisions than rushed ones.
🗺️ You don’t want to miss: EU travel update: Cost of Schengen Entry visa
What actually happens at the border (first time)
Here’s the usual rhythm once EES is live:
- Scan your passport at a kiosk or with an officer
- Look at the camera for a quick facial image
- Place four fingers flat on a scanner if you’re visa-exempt
- Answer brief questions if asked (length of stay, place you’re sleeping, onward ticket)
- Walk on with a tiny glow of pride, simple
The whole thing is designed to be swift. Staff are there to help and can move you to an assisted lane if the machine and your fingers aren’t getting along.
👉 Good to know: Rings, heavy hand cream or damp hands can confuse scanners. Pop rings into a pocket and give your hands a quick dry before your turn.
🗺️ Recommended Read: Fast Track or Normal Security: Is it Worth the Extra Expense?
Families and accessibility 👨👩👧👦
Under-12s won’t have their fingerprints taken, though they’ll still need to be present for simple checks. Teens should expect the full process. Families are usually routed together, and staff often prioritise parents with small children to keep the flow humane. If mobility is an issue, many posts have portable devices or assisted counters.
Data and privacy 🔐
EES stores what the old stamp never could: a clear record of when you entered and left, plus basic biometrics. The purpose is to reduce errors, remove guesswork over days used, and make border checks consistent. Your data is kept for a limited time, longer if you overstay, and it’s protected by strict rules. It isn’t a marketing database and it isn’t there to sell you anything.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Tell little ones the “game” in advance: passport scan, photo, hand press. Promise a pastry on the other side. Works wonders.
EES vs ETIAS vs UK ETA (don’t mix them up)
A simple way to remember it:
- EES is the process at the border. You enrol once, then future crossings are quicker.
- ETIAS is a soon-to-launch travel authorisation you’ll apply for online before you go to the Schengen Area if you’re visa-exempt.
- UK ETA is the UK’s own pre-travel authorisation for visitors heading into Britain.
Think of EES as the security gate, and ETIAS/ETA as the online ticket you sort at home.
Driving, ferries and trains: Dover, Eurotunnel, Eurostar 🚗⛴️🚆
If you travel from Great Britain into Schengen by road, rail or sea, you’ll meet EES before you board. Operators have been redesigning flows to keep traffic moving, with kiosks and staffed points where you can step out briefly for enrolment. The idea is to capture the biometrics once, then speed your future trips.
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Keep passports together in order of the queue. Hats off, hair back, and sunglasses away for a clean photo. It sounds small; it saves minutes.
Airports: kiosks and assisted lanes ✈️
Airports are building EES into the natural path towards passport control. You’ll see clusters of kiosks, staff with tablets, and signage explaining the steps. Families and passengers needing help will be pulled into assisted lanes. After your first trip, many travellers will be able to use automated gates on repeat visits.
Border wait times: reality check (and how to glide through)
There will be days when it’s smooth and days when it’s sticky. You can’t control the crowd, but you can control your readiness: documents to hand, no last-second rummaging, and a calm approach. Staff want you through quickly too, and they’re constantly tweaking layouts and signage to help.
Our Google Maps Legend
Save time pinning everything! Get lifetime access to our endless hours of research and time spent on the ground finding the best places to eat, drink, relax and explore in the area. You simply open the Google Map on your device and all our pins are at the touch of your fingertips.
The 90/180 rule made simpler by EES
Short stays in the Schengen Zone follow the 90 days in any rolling 180 rule. EES helps track this cleanly so you don’t rely on faded stamps and mental arithmetic. It doesn’t change the rule; it just makes the counting fairer and clearer. If you spend lots of time in Europe, the system helps you plan without surprises at the desk.
👉 Good to know: Keep your own tally in your notes app even with EES. Belt and braces never hurt.
✋🏼 Fancy a Road Trip: All Our Road Trips + FREE Map
What to prep before you fly (or roll)
A tiny bit of organisation goes a long way:
- Passport with comfortable validity and a clean, readable MRZ
- Proof of where you’re sleeping (first night is fine)
- Onward or return travel
- Insurance details (digital is fine)
- Hair tidy, hat off, hands clean and dry for scanners
- Snacks and patience if you’re travelling at peak times
💡 Fact: Border questions about funds or plans aren’t new or EES-specific. They’ve always been part of standard checks.
Special cases: residents, long-stays, students, cruises
- Residents / long-stay visas: EES isn’t for you. Bring your residence card or long-stay visa to show staff.
- Students with long-stays: Same story. Keep proof ready and you’ll be routed correctly.
- Cruises: If you’re not stepping into Schengen ports, EES may not feature. If you are, expect normal checks at your first Schengen call.
Quick Facts (copy-friendly)
| Topic | The essentials |
|---|---|
| What EES is | A digital replacement for passport stamps with one-time biometric enrolment |
| Who it’s for | Non-EU/Schengen visitors on short stays |
| Biometrics | Facial image + four fingerprints (visa-exempt travellers) |
| Kids | Under-12s don’t provide fingerprints |
| Where you’ll see it | Airports, ports, rail terminals with Schengen checks |
EU entry / exit System” related: quick answers
What is EES?
A border system that records entries and exits digitally and replaces manual stamps with a short biometric check.
Do children give fingerprints?
Under-12s don’t. Teens should expect the full process.
How long does first-time enrolment take?
Usually a couple of minutes at the kiosk once you’re at the front of the line.
Will my passport still be stamped?
During transition, possibly. Once EES is fully embedded, electronic records take over.
Does EES change the 90/180 rule?
No. It simply tracks it accurately so you and the officer see the same picture.
Costs at a glance
| Item | Price | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| EES enrolment | €0 | At the border, first trip after launch |
| ETIAS (Schengen) | €20 for most adults | Pre-trip online authorisation once it goes live |
| UK ETA | £16 | Pre-trip authorisation for visitors heading into the UK |
What to know How to Plan or Save for a Trip? Here are our best:
Now, over to you…
New systems can feel big on paper, but in real life Navigating the New EES is a short moment on your journey, not the main event. Save this guide for your next trip and you’ll breeze it like a pro.
Used EES already, or travelling soon? Share your experience and any smart queue-dodging tricks in the comments, it’ll help the next Tinker heading out.
If you fancy more planning checklists and itineraries, have a rummage around TheTravelTinker.com.👇🗣️
Adventure on,
The Travel Tinker Crew 🌍✨
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FAQs
Do I need to arrive much earlier because of EES?
A little buffer helps, especially during busy school holidays, but you don’t need to overhaul your life. Pack documents smartly, follow signage, and you’ll be fine.
Can I opt out of biometric enrolment?
No. It’s now part of the short-stay process for non-EU/Schengen visitors. Staff can assist if the kiosk struggles to read your fingerprints.
I’m a UK citizen with EU residency. Do I still use EES?
No. Show your residence card or long-stay visa and you’ll be routed to the appropriate lane.
What happens if my fingerprints don’t scan well?
An officer can help, clean the sensor, or complete verification with fewer fingers. It’s common and nothing to worry about.
Will EES slow family travel?
The first time might take a touch longer, but staff are used to moving families through as a unit. After enrolment, repeat trips are quicker.
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Nick Harvey
Hi, I am Nick! Thank you for reading! The Travel Tinker is a resource designed to help you navigate the beauty of travel! Tinkering your plans as you browse!
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