A spectre is haunting Europe, or at least, its external borders: the Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated mechanism for registering foreign nationals entering and leaving the Schengen Area, which risks ruining the holiday season for millions of travellers.
The EES is gradually replacing passport stamps with a digital system that records when travellers enter and exit the Schengen Area for short stays, collecting biometric information such as facial images and fingerprints, along with personal data from travel documents.
It is now in place at all the external borders of all 29 countries in the free-travel area, meaning all EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland, plus Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.
Who does it apply to?
The system applies to non-EU/Schengen citizens travelling to Schengen or EU countries for short stays.
