EU Changes Entry Rules
- 20.05.2025, 8:33
Stamps will be abolished at Schengen borders.
The EU Council and the European Parliament have reached a preliminary agreement on the gradual launch of an automated border entry/exit system (Entry/Exit system, EES) into the European Union that will replace stamps in the passport, writes Deutsche Welle.
New regulations for the gradual launch of EES
The decision to introduce the system was made back in 2017, its launch has been postponed several times. The latest deadline was 2024. However, at the end of last year, the European Commission (EC) postponed the launch of EES again, as Germany, France and the Netherlands were not ready for its introduction. The EC then demanded the creation of a new regulation for a gradual launch of the system, rather than an overnight one.
The new agreement proposes to give six months for the gradual introduction of the EES. "Until the end of this transition period, member countries will continue to manually stamp travel documents," the press release said. It was previously reported that EES will completely replace stamps in passports.
The agreement by the EU Council and the European Parliament does not mean that EES will start being introduced now. The date for the gradual launch of the system is to be set by the European Commission. Besides, the agreement reached on May 19 is preliminary, it still has to be finally approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament.
Will the new system increase queues?
The digital EES system will allow automatic registration of data of those entering and leaving the Schengen area, including biometric data: fingerprints and a photograph of the face. EU authorities will have permanent access to personal data of third-country nationals and the history of their travels, and will be able to control whether they comply with the authorized period of stay.
"EES will significantly reduce the likelihood of identity fraud and exceeding the period of stay," - said in a statement of the EU Council.
Earlier in the media there were concerns that the new system will not reduce but increase queues at the borders of the Schengen zone. This was also mentioned by the UK authorities. The draft of the new regulation says that EU countries will be able to temporarily disable the EES "when the intensity of the flow of people will lead to very long waiting times".