How the new border controls work

The Entry/Exit System is an electronic information collection system relating to visitors travelling to a Schengen country or countries for a short stay who are not EU nor EEA nor Swiss nationals and who do not live in the EU. 

It launched with a six-month ‘phase-in’ period starting on Sunday October 12, 2025. 

EES applies both to people who have a short-stay visa (required by some nationalities, such as Russians and Chinese people, for any visit) as well as those who are visa-exempt for a stay of 90/180 days, for example, Americans, Canadians, Britons etc. 

It is the nationality of the traveller that counts, not their point of travel departure. The European Commission first proposed the scheme in 2013 but a series of technical issues caused postponements. 

The system is deployed at Schengen entry and exit points (this does not include Ireland), but not on internal Schengen trips, such as between France and Spain. Any overstaying of the permitted 90/180 days is automatically tracked and flagged up by an automated calculator integrated in the system as is any previously refused entry. 

Now the initial six months of phasing-in is over, it is possible to track your remaining days at the EU’s main EES site and (if they are working) at pre-registration kiosks at some entry points. The online tool will say if your intended entry is ‘OK’ or ‘not OK’ and how many days you will be able to stay. 

You will need your passport to use it.

Note that the web page states that while the system beds it in may not fully take into account all prior stays. An alternative is to use the older Schengen calculator tool, however this does not actively show information held on your in the system and only uses data supplied by yourself. 

If you believe that the calculator is showing an incorrect result it is is possible to apply to the French authorities for your records to be corrected. 

EES collects and stores: 

• All the data from your passport (full name, date of birth etc)

• The date and place of each entry into or exit from the Schengen area

• A facial image and, apart from short stay visa holders who will already have provided them, a scan of the fingerprints of the right hand

There are no new physical documents to provide and no fee. EES applies to people of all ages, including babies, although under-12s do not have their fingerprints taken. 

Once a person is entered in the system, their details are kept for at least three years which should make future visits faster. The EU says that EES will modernise its borders as well as enhance security and the monitoring of who is in the zone.

Self-service pre-registration devices (kiosks or tablet computers) are intended to help passengers input most of the EES information themselves at larger airports, Channel ferry ports and at Eurotunnel and Eurostar terminals.

Transitional measures

As a transitional measure, EES regulations allowed the collection and checking of biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) to be suspended at busy times throughout summer 2026.

However as September 7 approached – the date when this was set to end – France and several other countries were calling on the EU for the right to continue this for an unspecified period. This was not confirmed as being granted, and would be legally difficult.

A European Commission spokesperson said that EES  had “evident” advantages. 

“It increases the security of EU citizens and replaces paper stamping with a modern system of registration and checks. 

“We already see very clear security benefits. At the same time all efforts are being made to limit the impact on travellers from outside the EU. In most cases, this impact is indeed limited.”

She said EES involves 1,500 border crossing points across 29 countries, with, as of August 2026, more than 160 million entries and exits registered. 

She said the system had also flagged 50,000 refusals of entry, including almost 1,500 concerning individuals presenting a threat to internal security that were prevented from entering. 

“The average check takes around 70 seconds; a small delay in view of the added layer of security.”

The spokesperson added: “When it comes to the time after the summer, we are in close and constructive contact with those few member states where there are challenges at certain border crossing points. 

“During this additional period of operational adjustment, the commission stands ready to provide additional support to member states to help address outstanding issues, including operational assistance, funding, and the possible deployment of additional Frontex [EU border force] standing corps officers. 

“There is a strong joint will to make the system work everywhere, and we work together with member states in this spirit.”

The French interior ministry told The Connexion in July 2026 that it regularly meets with the transport ministry and port, airport and rail operators to assess progress and provide reassurance.

"Thanks to the coordinated efforts of all government departments and platform operators, France has so far experienced no situation of major congestion," a spokesperson said.

The minstry stated that significant technical work had been carried out to allow the wider rollout of pre-registration kiosks, as well as tablets at certain ports, with a view to minimising the impact of EES on border control times as much as possible.

"Work will continue throughout the summer, with the aim of achieving a satisfactory level of performance and stability by 6 September.

"France, alongside eight other member states, has raised with the European Commission the value of considering the retention of certain flexibilities for the future; these discussions are ongoing.

"Finally, the government is continuing its efforts, with 350 additional staff already dedicated to the roll-out of EES and the development of other measures to improve flow in the medium and long term: the roll-out of the European mobile app for remote pre-registration in collaboration with Frontex, and discussions on the proposed expansion of access to PARAFE [passport e-gate] checkpoints.

"Everyone has been able to see on the ground that every effort is being made to minimise congestion caused by the EES, and the government will ensure a gradual and controlled ramp-up in the use of the kiosks throughout the summer period, whilst fulfilling its obligations."