What’s the new EU border system EES, and the way will it work? | European Union

[ad_1] Many travellers to Europe will see modifications in border safety from Sunday with the launch of the EU’s new digital entry and exit system (EES) after many delays.

The system means most non-EU residents should register their biometric data on the border. Travellers’ faces should be photographed and fingerprints scanned earlier than they're allowed into Europe’s Schengen space. The system will ultimately substitute passports being stamped by border officers.

What's EES? It's not a substitute for passport management. Travellers will nonetheless must undergo checks with border officers at ports. However ultimately they won't have their passport stamped – as an alternative, nations within the Schengen space will log travellers’ faces, fingerprints, and entry and exit dates.

The system is being launched to make border crossing quicker and extra environment friendly, whereas additionally monitoring who's coming out and in. The EU says it should additionally give it data that might be used for safety functions.

That is the beginning of a phased introduction of the system. It's scheduled to be absolutely in place by 10 April 2026.

The place does it apply and to who? The EES applies to the Schengen space, which contains 25 of the 27 EU member states in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

It consists of nations the place British individuals journey to regularly for holidays similar to Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and Italy.

The Republic of Eire and Cyprus are usually not a part of the Schengen space and so will proceed to course of passports as earlier than.

The EES applies to people who find themselves not from an EU nation or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – though there are some exceptions similar to individuals who have long-stay visas, amongst others.

How does it work? When somebody arrives on the border for the primary time after the EES is in place, they'll use a self-service display to register their title, passport particulars, fingerprints, and the date and place of entry and exit. The machine will {photograph} their face. Kids beneath 12 won't have their fingerprints scanned.

When individuals first come into contact with the EES depends upon the place they're travelling to and when.

Coach and foot passengers going by means of the port of Dover will undergo a brand new facility for EES processing from Sunday. From November, this may apply to all visitors. Coach passengers going by means of the Eurotunnel may even undergo the checks from Sunday.

The method might be rolled out regularly over the approaching months on Eurostar, which has put in registration terminals at its departure areas at St Pancras Worldwide in London.

For different journeys the method will occur when travellers get to the vacation spot nation.

Airports are implementing the modifications at completely different occasions. For instance, Germany will section within the service beginning with a small airport in Stuttgart after which construct as much as operations in Frankfurt, one of many busiest aviation hubs in Europe.

Will I've to get to Dover earlier? There have been issues that the additional time it takes to course of the EES knowledge will result in delays. Nonetheless, the port of Dover has requested coach drivers to not arrive on the port any greater than two hours earlier than journey.

Eurostar has stated that the time it should take for the method might be squeezed into the present 75-minute window passengers are requested to spend on the station earlier than departure.

And the chief govt of Eurotunnel, Yann Leriche, has stated the corporate is absolutely ready and doesn't count on prolonged queues.

Border officers have been instructed they've discretion to droop EES if queues are constructing.

What is going to occur to the info that's collected? The info offered digitally by means of the EES will saved for 3 years, with some exceptions, after which it's erased.

It may be utilized by border, visa and immigration authorities within the nations utilizing the system in addition to native police and Europol, the EU company for legislation enforcement.

The EU says that the data could also be transferred to a different nation, exterior Schengen, or a world organisation, similar to a UN physique, beneath “strict situations”.

If travellers cross the border once more, inside the three-year interval, the method ought to be faster because the face image and fingerprints will already be on file.