Entry/Exit System (EES)

Per the European Commission's EES site, the Entry/Exit System is "an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders" of the 29 participating countries; it applies to travellers who need a short-stay visa and to visa-exempt travellers alike, records travel document data, facial image, fingerprints and entry and exit dates, and calculates the 90-in-180 period as a single period. Its progressive start "lasted until 9 April 2026" and "from 10 April 2026, the EES is fully operational at all external border crossing points". Legal base: Regulations (EU) 2017/2226 and 2025/1534. See our EES and ETIAS guide.