What reasons might lead to entry refusal from EES system?

There are reports that thousands of people are being blocked from entering the EU by the EES. What can justify this?

A report in summer 2026 by EU IT agency EU-LISA gave a snapshot of how the EES digital borders scheme was being used to check on comings and goings of non-EU nationals into France and the wider Schengen area, with regard to the first quarter of 2026 – January to March.

It included data on how many people were refused entry

The data showed 19,985 refusals of entry, with the most common reason – 7,202 cases – being that border guards were not convinced that the traveller had sufficiently justified the ‘purpose and conditions of their planned stay’. 

This refers to not being able sufficiently to explain or prove reasons for visiting or availability of accommodation.

The next most common reason – 4,353 cases – was because the traveller was flagged as having already had their maximum permitted visa-free stays in the Schengen area, ie. they had reached or exceeded their 90/180 days allowance.

Other reasons in order of frequency included:

• Flagged by Schengen information system (because an EU state’s authorities recorded the person as having committed previous immigration violations such that they should be banned from entering the area)

• Lack of valid visa (for nationals needing a short-stay visa) or of a residency document proving exemption from EES

• Unable to give evidence of sufficient means to fund the stay

• No valid passport

• Traveller flagged by by EU security databases as being a threat

• National-level entry refusal alerts

• Using a false passport

• Refusing to provide biometric data (facial image or fingerprints)

Ukrainians accounted for the highest number of refusals (4,771). 

The report did not explain reasons for this but many Ukrainians enter via the EU's eastern land borders rather than major holiday airports, where travel circumstances may differ from those of typical tourists.

While all guards at external Schengen borders are entitled to ask questions about means, accommodation and purpose of trip, experience shows that this is rarely enforced at major holiday destination airports for people who look like typical tourists.

Among anglophone countries, 190 Britons were refused and 158 Americans.

Travellers aged 20 to 30 were most likely to be refused and more men than women were refused.