The European Commission has confirmed that the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) will officially launch on April 9, 2026. However countries in the Schengen Area will have limited flexibility to pause EES operations after that date to manage summer travel congestion.
The EES requires non-EU travellers to submit facial images and fingerprints when entering or exiting the Schengen Zone. Some countries have introduced automated kiosks and electronic gates to speed up the process, but implementation has not been consistent.
EES is separate from—but connected to—the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which will require pre-travel authorisation for non-EU travellers from visa-exempt countries. ETIAS is expected to launch later in 2026. We will keep you updated on these developments.
But for now, please be aware that immigration procedures may be delayed and connecting flights, trains or transfers should be booked with a decent time gap to accomodate for this.
Shanghai, China – June 28, 2020: The New Autonomous Ticket Security Check in China. The system matches passengerâs face and ID information for smooth and fast check-in for departure.
