EC: Entry/Exit System becomes fully operational across all Schengen countries
April 10 marks a significant milestone in European border security as the Entry/Exit System (EES) becomes fully operational across all Schengen countries, the European Commission (EC) said in a statement.
The EES is an advanced technological system that will digitally record the entries and exits of non-EU nationals travelling to 29 European countries for short stays, the EC said.
The EES gathers biographical and biometric data as well as other travel information, replacing the previous system of passport stamping.
It provides reliable data on border crossings, systematically detecting overstayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud, the EC said.
The system began its progressive roll-out in October 2025.
Since its introduction, more than 52 million entries and exits were registered, with more than 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 April 10, the system is deployed across all EU external border crossing points.
The Commission remains in close contact with member states on the implementation of the EES, the EC said.
(Photo: Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry)
