Starting on October 12, 2025, the European Union (EU) will begin rolling out the Entry/Exit System (EES), with full implementation by April 2026.
This new digital border management tool will replace traditional passport stamping with biometric records, transforming the way millions of eligible travelers experience border crossings. A few quick facts :
Approval Time : Most applications are processed within minutes. But in some cases the process may take up to 30 days. This is why you should apply well in advance of your travel to avoid complications.
Validity : Three years or until your passport expires.
Required Even for Transit : If you have a layover in an ETIAS country, approval is mandatory.
HERE you can read everything in detail, but here are the basics to know :
Where EES Applies
If you are traveling through and into these 30 European countries :
ETIAS Travel Authorisation
Nationals of any of these visa-exempt countries and territories need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
Note : If you are a family member of an EU citizen or of a national of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, please read this FAQ for more information about applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
Fortuantely there is a step by step guide based on your passport country :
A few helpful tips :
Applying as a family - each family member has a seperate application, minors (under 18 years of age) have to be submitted by a person exercising permanent or temporary parental authority or legal guardianship.
Passport Expiration - Your travel document should be valid for more than three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the ETIAS requiring countries and should not be older than 10 years. This requirement does not apply to family members of EU citizens or those of non-EU nationals who have the right to move freely throughout the European Union.
First Time Going Through EU :
If you are crossing into the Schengen Area for the first time since the EES launch, you’ll undergo a full registration process. This involves:
A fingerprint scan
A facial image capture
Collection of passport data such as your full name, date of birth, and travel document number
To make this smoother, many border points will have self-service kiosks or mobile applications where you can pre-register your data before meeting a border guard. These tools reduce waiting times and make the experience more efficient, particularly at busy airports and land crossings.
