As of 10 April, the EU’s new border management system is officially fully operational at all external border crossing points of the EU, except for Cyprus and Ireland.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) which is now fully operational across all Schengen countries, marks a significant milestone in European border security, according to the European Commission.
Said EC executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen: “It equips our external borders with modern, interoperable and highly advanced technological systems, reflecting Europe’s commitment to ensuring strong protection of our external borders and overall security. It will enable authorities to identify risks in real time, tackle overstays more effectively and reinforce trust in the Schengen area.”
The Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for short stays – up to 90 days in 180-day period. It replaces the old way of manually stamping passports.
Under the new system, when a non-EU national arrives at a border crossing point in the Schengen Area for the first time, the following information is registered in the system:
- passport details
- biometric data
- entry and exit records
For each subsequent entry and exit, only a quick verification will be needed, making the process faster.
The new system modernises border controls in the EU by:
- speeding up border checks, so travellers spend less time waiting
- helping border control staff work more efficiently
- improving security, by giving border and law enforcement authorities access to important traveller information
- helping prevent irregular migration
The system began its progressive roll-out in October 2025. Since its introduction, more than 52 million entries and exits were registered, with over 27,000 refusals of entry, of which almost 700 persons were identified as posing a security threat to the Union. With the EES functioning at full capacity, registering a traveller takes on average only 70 seconds, which is a very short time period for non-EU citizens considering the high added value of entering the EU.
As of 10 April, the System was deployed across all EU external border crossing points. The Commission says it remains in close contact with Member States on the implementation of the EES.
