Updated 2nd March 2026:
The Entry/Exit System (EES) started operations on 12 October 2025 and is being introduced gradually at border crossing points, with full rollout expected by 10 April 2026.
Rather than switching on everywhere at once, the EU will introduce EES gradually at different border points over a six month period. This means travellers may still encounter manual passport stamps at some crossings during the transition.
For a full overview of both the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), including how they work together and what changes to expect at the border, see The Complete Guide to EES and ETIAS.
For a detailed explanation of what EES is, how it works, and how it affects travellers, see my full guide: European Entry Exit System (EES): Start Date Announced.
Rollout Timeline
- Start date: 12 October 2025 (now live)
- End date: 10 April 2026
- Countries covered: 29 (twenty nine)
- Exclusions: Cyprus and Ireland are not participating
- Country specific dates: Now Available
During rollout, border crossings that have implemented EES will require non-EU travellers to provide biometric data (fingerprints + facial image) at self-service kiosks or e-gates.
👉 Children under 12
The EES skips fingerprinting for children below 12 years old. They’re still registered, with their travel details and facial image kept in the database.
Below is the country-by-country EES rollout summary, based on official government and EU sources, and updated as new border point announcements are published.
EES Implementation by Country
| Country | EES Participation | Expected Implementation Period | Notes | Official Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at international airports and aerodromes. Six month phased rollout until 10 Apr 2026, then full operation | (Austrian Ministry of the Interior, BMI) |
| Belgium | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 with gradual introduction at Belgian airports, seaports, and at Brussels South railway station for Eurostar passengers. Full rollout within six months. | Federal Public Service Interior (Belgium) |
| Bulgaria | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at all air & sea borders, & at Kalotina land border crossing point; remaining land crossings by Day 90. | (Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
| Croatia | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Gradual implementation begins 12 Oct 2025 at all international border crossings (including selected Bosnia crossings) | (Croatian Ministry of the Interior ) |
| Cyprus | ❌ No | N/A | Not participating in EES | (European Union, Official Website) |
| Czech Republic | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 with gradual rollout at external borders; full implementation by 10 Apr 2026. No list of first border points published | (Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
| Denmark | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 with gradual rollout at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and fully across the rest of the Kingdom (incl. Faroe Islands & Greenland). Passport stamping continues during transition. | (Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration) |
| Estonia | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at sea, rail, and road borders. Reported as one of the first countries to apply EES at all border points with the exception of the Värska–Saatse road, connecting two Estonian villages through Russian territory. | (Stated by Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board in comments reported by The Independent 23.09.25) |
| Finland | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at border control points; six month transition. Airports confirmed from day one, with Finavia assisting Border Guard. | (Finnish Border Guard / Finavia) |
| France | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at airports, railway stations & ports; gradual rollout with full implementation by 10 Apr 2026. | (Service-public.fr, official French government site) |
| Germany | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at Düsseldorf Airport; Frankfurt & Munich follow, then all airports & maritime ports by Apr 2026. | (German Federal Ministry of Interior) |
| Greece | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, gradual rollout across border points; Greece listed among first countries to apply the EES | (Greek Ministry Foreign Affairs) |
| Hungary | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 in several stages. First at the Hungarian–Ukrainian land border; then Serbian land border; airports last. | (Hungarian Police) |
| Iceland | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, gradual rollout in phases & is expected to be fully implemented by April 2026. | (Keflavik International Airport) |
| Ireland | ❌ No | N/A | Not participating in EES | (Department of Justice, Home Affairs & Immigration – Ireland) |
| Italy | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at Milan Malpensa Airport & Rome Fiumicino. Palermo and Genoa airports follow on 20 Oct 2025. | Official airport sites (Milan Malpensa, Palermo, Genoa) |
| Latvia | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at all border crossing points; gradual rollout, full by 10 Apr 2026. | (Latvian State Border Guard) |
| Liechtenstein | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at its borders with Switzerland and Austria, which act as its external Schengen borders. | (Liechtenstein Migration and Passport Office) |
| Lithuania | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, rollout will move from Vilnius to other airports, then to seaports, and finally to land border crossings. | (Lithuanian Interior Minister via LRT News) |
| Luxembourg | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at Luxembourg borders. EES will be deployed gradually over six months. | (U.S. Embassy Luxembourg) |
| Malta | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, with gradual implementation of EES at external borders. | (Malta International Airport) |
| Netherlands | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 small-scale registration of non-EU travellers, with gradual rollout at external borders; not all travellers or data recorded from day one. | (Government.nl and Schipol.nl) |
| Norway | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, with gradual implementation of EES at external borders. | (Norwegian Government / Ministry of Justice & Public Security) |
| Poland | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins Oct 2025, phased rollout at external borders. Poland’s Border Guard declares readiness but has not published detailed start points. | (Ministry of Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland) |
| Portugal | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, with gradual implementation of EES at external borders. | (Portugal Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |
| Romania | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at selected border crossing points & expands to all external borders within 170 days | (Romanian Border Police) |
| Slovakia | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, with gradual introduction of EES at external borders. | (Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic) |
| Slovenia | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at external Schengen border; phased rollout at Ljubljana-Brnik, Maribor-Slivnica, Portorož airports & Koper, Piran ports. | (Slovenian Police) |
| Spain | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 with first test on a flight arriving at Madrid Airport; phased rollout: airports first, then land borders, then sea borders. Passport stamping continues during transition. | (Spanish Ministry of Interior) |
| Sweden | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025, with gradual implementation of EES at external borders. | (Swedish Government / Ministry of Justice) |
| Switzerland | ✅ Yes | Oct 2025 – Apr 2026 | Begins 12 Oct 2025 at Basel & Geneva airports; Zurich from 17 Nov 2025; smaller airports phased between Day 90–170. | (Federal Dept of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland) |
Note: Several governments (including the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain) have confirmed that during the six month transition period, passports will still be stamped alongside EES registration. This means travellers may experience both digital checks and manual passport stamping until 10 April 2026, when stamping is abolished across the Schengen Area.
✈️ Travelling from the UK?
Check out the detailed guide on EES for UK Travellers: including Dover, Eurostar and LeShuttle timelines.
Who the EES Applies To
EES is designed for non-EU citizens visiting the Schengen Area for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period).
It applies to:
- Visa exempt travellers from countries like Australia, US, UK, Canada, Japan, etc.
- Those entering for tourism, business, family visits, or transit.
EES does not apply to:
- Citizens of EU countries using EES as well as Cyprus & Ireland.
- Travellers with certain residence rights, long-stay visas, or special exemptions.
For the full official list of exemptions, see the European Commission’s EES page.
Biometric Passport and EES
You don’t have to have a biometric passport to use EES.
- If you do: The chip in your passport lets kiosks or e-gates read your details instantly, which usually makes border checks quicker.
- If you don’t: Your biometrics will still be taken at a kiosk or by an officer, but you may need to go through manual processing.
How to Check Your Border’s EES Status During Rollout
Because the rollout is phased, not all entry points will have EES active right away. Here’s how to check before you travel:
- Airport or port website: Many major hubs will post EES updates on their arrivals page.
- Airline notifications: Some carriers (especially long-haul) will email passengers if their arrival border is EES-ready.
- Government travel advisories: The EU Commission and national border police sometimes post activation updates.
- On-the-day signage: At your arrival point, look for signs for “EES Registration” or “Biometric Entry.”
Common Misconceptions During Rollout
- ❌ “EES starts everywhere on 12 October 2025.”
✅ No. It’s phased over six months, so some borders will still stamp passports into 2026. - ❌ “EES replaces ETIAS.”
✅ They’re separate systems. EES records entries/exits, ETIAS is a travel authorisation required from last quarter of 2026 for visa-exempt travellers. - ❌ “Once EES starts, there will be no queues.”
✅ Your first EES entry will likely take longer because biometric data must be captured.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Your first EES registration will involve:
- Approach the self-service kiosk or e-gate.
- Scan your passport.
- Place fingers on the fingerprint scanner.
- Look at the camera for a facial image.
- Confirm your personal details on the screen.
After this, future EES crossings will be faster because your biometrics are already in the system.
What This Means for Travellers
- First EES entry takes longer: Biometric data must be collected before you’re cleared.
- Rollout period may cause variation: Some borders will have EES sooner than others.
- Plan for extra time: Especially during late 2025 and early 2026.
If you’re travelling during the transition period, carry all the same documents you would normally need (passport, proof of accommodation, return ticket, proof of funds) in case manual checks are still in place.
During the rollout period, having your documents easily accessible can make the process smoother. A slim travel document organiser keeps your passport, boarding pass and accommodation confirmations in one place so you’re not fumbling at the kiosk or counter during biometric registration.
EES Start Date & Country FAQ
Yes, the Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and is being gradually rolled out at border crossing points, with full rollout expected by 10 April 2026.
No. Ireland is not participating in the EES. Neither is Cyprus. Passport stamps will still be used at Irish & Cypriot borders.
Spain began implementing EES on 12 October 2025 and will run through till 10 April 2026. Travellers may encounter manual passport stamps until all border points are upgraded.
Yes, both are joining partially. Air and sea borders will get EES first during the rollout window, with land borders following later.
Final Words
The phased rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES) between October 2025 and April 2026 marks one of the biggest changes to Schengen border control in decades. While exact country-by-country start dates may vary, this guide shows which nations are participating and what travellers can expect during the transition.
Whether you’re entering through a busy international airport or a smaller land crossing, be ready for biometric registration and allow extra time, especially on your first EES entry. First reports on day one of the rollout are suggesting major delays, glitches and a lot of frustration.
📚Related Reading:
ETIAS Guides:
- ETIAS Travel Authorization: Major Update On Start Date
- ETIAS vs EES: Key Differences You Should Know
- ETIAS Common Mistakes
- Dual Citizens & ETIAS: You May Need a European Passport (2026)
EES Guides:
- European Entry Exit System (EES): Now Live Across Europe
- 🔹 You’re here: EES Rollout by Country: Start Dates & Timeline (2025–2026)
- EES for UK Travellers
- EES for Australian Travellers
- EES for US Travellers
UK Entry Rules
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): United Kingdom
- Do British Dual Citizens Need a UK ETA? Passport Rules in 2026
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