EU launches digital entry system to track non-EU travelers

The European Union has begun a phased rollout of its new digital border control system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), aimed at tightening border security and tracking non-EU travelers more effectively.

Launched on Sunday, the EES will replace passport stamps with biometric data collection, including fingerprints and facial images, at the EU’s external borders. The full implementation is expected by April 10, 2026.

The system applies to non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area, which includes most EU countries, plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, but excludes Ireland and Cyprus.

According to EU officials, the EES will help detect overstayers, combat identity fraud, and improve migration control. Travelers will register their biometric data on first entry; future entries will require only facial scans.

At some busy crossings, like the Bajakovo border between Croatia and Serbia, the process is already underway, taking only a few minutes per traveler. In the UK, EES checks began for freight and coach traffic at Dover and the Eurotunnel, with passenger checks set to follow later this year.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner called the system “the digital backbone” of Europe’s new migration and asylum policy.

UK Minister for Border Security Alex Norris welcomed the move as a shared step toward stronger border protection and curbing illegal migration.