No more stamps in passports - What's different from today at 29 EU airports?
The European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), which applies to all third-country nationals entering and exiting the Schengen Area, entered into force on Friday at airports in 29 EU countries.
This is a process of recording personal and biometric data of third-country nationals traveling for a short stay of up to 90 days, within a period of 180 days, whenever they cross the external borders of the EU and Schengen countries.
This category also includes citizens from the United Kingdom, as well as travelers who do not need a visa, whether traveling for tourism or business reasons. This also applies to people who own real estate in the EU but do not have a residence permit.
The system is designed to replace the process of stamping passports, while the biometric data recorded include fingerprints and a facial photograph. The new passport control procedure, at least during the first phase of its mandatory implementation, will take time, as it also involves interviews with passengers from third countries.
For this reason, and to avoid unforeseen situations, airline passengers should arrive at the airport at least 2 hours and 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time, in order to promptly complete check-in, security check and passport control procedures, when required.
“Travel to Europe” is the official EU app designed specifically for the EES system and allows third-country travellers to pre-register biometric photos and passport data up to 72 hours before their arrival, to speed up border checks. However, this does not replace the required border control interview.
For now, it is only available in a few countries, with plans to expand the app across the EU. Since the new system was introduced, more than 24,000 people have been denied entry to Europe, mainly because they had expired or forged documents, or were unable to sufficiently justify the purpose of their trip. More than 600 people have also been identified as potential risks to Europe's security.
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