To increase the security of the external borders in Europe, the EU will use a new entry and exit system at the external borders of the Schengen area. This system is called EES, which stands for Entry Exit System.
EES is an automated system that the European Union will use for the automatic monitoring of border crossings by nationals of third countries (non-EU / EEA / Switzerland). The system is intended to replace passport stamping and will be implemented in mid-2022. EES is based on EU Regulation 2017/2226.
The system will feel familiar to travelers accustomed to using airport biometric scanners. At the moment, officials mainly check whether the photo on your passport matches your face, but the EES technique also checks, among other things, how long you are allowed to stay in the EU. That is for non-EU citizens up to 90 days (according to the rules for short stay ).
However, non-EU citizens residing in the Schengen zone do not have to use the new system. Their personal data is not registered in the Entry/Exit system.
The EES will only operate at the external borders of the EU, for example for Americans flying to Italy or Britons traveling to France.
The EU entry-exit system must ensure that the EU's external borders become more secure. In addition to checking the door of travellers' visits, the scanners also check whether a passport has ever been registered for immigration violations, such as visa violations. The European Commission says that EES can also detect stolen identities and other forms of passport fraud.
The information from EES will be shared with the EU Member States and Europol. The EES is expected to come into operation in the first six months of 2022, following a delayed start due to the pandemic.
It is one of a number of new measures, alongside the 'European Travel Information and Authorization System' (ETIAS), which requires non-EU citizens to apply for a travel authorization online and pay €7 to enter the EU.
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