EU Entry/Exit System Registers More Than 145 Million Crossings Since April 10 Launch

The European Union’s biometric Entry/Exit System has registered more than 145 million entries and exits since becoming fully operational across the external borders of the Schengen area on April 10, 2026, the European Commission said in a July 27 update.

The system changes how eligible non-EU nationals making short stays are processed when they enter or leave participating European countries. Instead of relying on manual passport stamps, border authorities record travel-document information, facial images, fingerprints, entry and exit dates, and refusals of entry.

The rollout affects airports, seaports and land border crossings at the Schengen area’s external frontier. The Schengen area includes EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland, along with Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.

What the system records

The Entry/Exit System, commonly known as EES, is designed for eligible third-country nationals traveling with biometric passports for short stays. Its records link a traveler’s identity and travel document with the dates of entry and departure.

For travelers covered by the system, biometric registration replaces the previous process of receiving a passport stamp at the border. The recorded information includes facial images and fingerprints as well as travel-document data. Border authorities also record refusals of entry.

The European Commission’s figure of more than 145 million entries and exits represents activity recorded by July 27, more than three months after the system reached full operation. The figure counts entries and exits, rather than necessarily representing the number of individual travelers.

Who is outside the system

The rules do not apply to everyone crossing an external Schengen border. EU nationals are not registered in EES. The same applies to nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Certain holders of long-stay visas or residence permits are also exempt from registration. Some family members of EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian or Swiss citizens are exempt when they hold qualifying residence documentation.

Those exemptions matter for travelers who may otherwise assume that every non-EU passenger is processed in the same way. Whether a person is registered depends on nationality, the purpose and length of the stay, and the travel or residence documents they hold.

EES is separate from ETIAS

The EES rollout is separate from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS. EES is a border-registration system that records crossings by eligible travelers. ETIAS is a pre-travel authorization system for travelers who do not need a visa for short visits.

ETIAS is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2026. The European Commission has not announced an exact launch date, and the authorization system should not be treated as operational yet.

For travelers planning trips to Europe, the distinction is practical. EES concerns what happens at the external Schengen border, while ETIAS will concern a step taken before travel for eligible visa-exempt visitors. A traveler may therefore need to understand both systems, depending on nationality and travel documents.

A new border process across Schengen

The July update marks an early measure of the system’s use across a wide network of crossings. Because EES operates at external Schengen borders, the change is relevant whether a traveler arrives by air, sea or land.

Travelers who fall within an exemption category remain outside the registration rules described for eligible short-stay visitors. For those covered by EES, however, biometric and travel-document records are now part of the standard external-border process rather than an occasional passport-stamping procedure.

The European Commission’s next major travel-system milestone is the planned ETIAS launch later in 2026. Until the exact date is announced, EES remains the operative biometric border-registration system, while ETIAS remains a future requirement for the travelers it will cover.

Sources

• The Entry Exit System is fully operational since 10 April 2026. Who is exempt?, European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs
• How the entry/exit system works, Council of the European Union
• Main differences between the EES and ETIAS, European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs

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