From today, the new regulation for travel to Schengen countries comes into force. Here is what you need to pay attention to

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which began its phased rollout on October 12 last year across 29 European countries, will become fully operational from April 10, 2026. This means that passport stamps will be replaced by digitally recorded entries and exits, as well as records of entry refusals for short-term non-EU travelers.

Biometric data, such as facial photographs and fingerprints, along with personal information from the travel document used, will also be collected and stored in the system.

This new system has been introduced to modernize border security and immigration systems in the EU, as well as to reduce crime and fraud and to more easily identify security risks.

Since the start of its implementation, more than 24,000 people have been refused entry for reasons such as expired or falsified documents, or failure to fully justify the purpose of their travel, according to European Commission data. In addition, more than 600 people have been flagged as a potential security risk to Europe, Euronews reports.

If you are planning holidays in Europe in the coming months, there are a few things you should know.

Who does the EES apply to and who is exempt?

The EES applies to citizens of non-EU/Schengen countries traveling to Schengen or EU countries for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

This includes citizens of the United Kingdom, as well as visa-exempt travelers, whether traveling for leisure or business. It also applies to people who own property in the EU but do not hold a residence permit.

However, Ireland and Cyprus are exempt from the EES system, meaning manual passport controls will continue there.

Some individuals are also exempt from the EES. These include EU and Schengen citizens, as well as people holding long-term visas or residence permits from those countries, including non-EU citizens.

Similarly, family members of EU citizens who hold a residence card from one of these countries, as well as local residents with valid small border traffic permits, are also exempt.

Train and airline crew members on international routes, as well as members of armed forces and their families traveling as part of NATO or Partnership for Peace activities, are also exempt.

Some exemptions may also apply to day trips by cruise ships that start and end outside the Schengen area.

Citizens of Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City, and Monaco are also not required to go through the EES.

Will there be delays at airports due to EES?

There are likely to be significant delays at airports in the first months of full EES operation, despite the EU’s promise to allow some flexibility to account for excessive summer queues.

“Waiting times are now regularly reaching up to two hours during peak travel times, with some airports reporting even longer queues,” said airport association ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe (A4E) in a joint statement.

One of the main reasons for increased delays is that all third-country passengers have been required to register through the EES since March 31.

Previously, border control authorities were able to suspend EES processes fully or partially during peak travel times. However, this will no longer be possible from April 10 onwards.

This means travelers will likely need to arrive at airports about one and a half to two hours earlier than usual to account for EES-related delays after April 10.

However, these delays are expected to ease in the medium term once EES processes become smoother.

Meanwhile, airport and airline associations continue to urge the European Commission to allow border authorities to partially or fully suspend EES when necessary during the 2026 summer season.

Do you need a biometric passport for EES?

Biometric passports are not strictly required for EES. They are only needed to use self-service kiosks for faster registration and entry.

Holders of standard passports must use staffed booths for initial registration and provide a photo and fingerprints.

This data will be stored for three years, making future checks significantly faster. Travelers who refuse to provide biometric data will be automatically denied entry.

Children under 12 are not required to provide fingerprints but must still be photographed.

Do you need to register in advance for EES?

You do not need to register in advance for EES, as registration is done at the border upon arrival in the EU.

The registration process depends on whether you have a biometric or standard passport, as explained above.

However, there is an alternative option for travelers who want a faster process.

The “Travel to Europe” mobile app, an official EU app designed specifically for the EES system, allows third-country travelers to pre-register biometric photos and passport data 72 hours before arrival to speed up border checks.

However, this does not replace the required border control interview.

Currently, it is only available in a few countries such as Portugal and Sweden, with plans to expand the app across the EU.

The app can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store, where users must complete an entry questionnaire and take a selfie to confirm their identity.

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