ETIAS & EES Europe

Europe is radically modernizing its border controls. Two major systems are transforming the way non-European travellers enter and leave the Schengen area: the’EES (Entry/Exit System), which has already been deployed since october 2025, and the’ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), scheduled for launch in last quarter 2026. These two systems affect hundreds of millions of travelers worldwide.

Visamundi explains the differences between these two systems, the timetable for their implementation, the nationalities concerned, and helps you understand which documents you'll need to visit Europe, depending on your nationality and the length and purpose of your stay.

Update April 2026: EES will be fully operational on April 10, 2026 at all Schengen border crossings. The ETIAS, on the other hand, can only be launched after this date, and is expected in the last quarter of 2026. Its price has been raised to 20 € (compared with the initial €7).

EES: the new biometric system for European borders

What is EES?

THE Input/output system (Entry/Exit System, EES) is a digital device that replaces the manual passport stamping by electronic biometric registration. Launched on October 12, 2025 With gradual deployment in 29 European countries, the EES automatically registers every entry and exit of non-European citizens crossing an external border within the Schengen area.

In concrete terms, when you cross the European border for the first time after EES is deployed, border authorities will collect :

• Your fingerprints (4 fingers)
• A facial image (facial recognition)
• Your travel document details (passport)
• Date and place of each input and output

These biometric data, stored for 3 years, These will replace the physical stamps in passports, making it easier for authorities to detect overstays (the 90-day rule out of 180 days), combat identity theft and reinforce border security.

Who is affected by EES?

EES applies to all non-European travellers crossing an external border of the Schengen area, whether :

• Subject to a Schengen visa requirement (short-stay visa)
• Visa exempt for stays of less than 90 days (the 59 nationalities covered by ETIAS)

The EES therefore concerns a number of passengers much wider than ETIAS. It applies to every border crossing, whether by air, land or sea.

Deployment difficulties: queues and technical problems

The rollout of EES has not been without its problems. Since the launch, several European airports have experienced long queues and significant technical problems:

• Lisbon The airport had to suspend EES for 3 months after «serious deficiencies» at border control, with waiting times reaching 7 hours.
• Geneva : Queues of 5 to 6 hours for biometric registration, with videos showing tails stretching across the terminal.
• Brussels Up to 1 hour from start And 2 hours on arrival for non-EU passengers (March 2026). On February 6-7, 2026, a software failure deactivated the 24 e-gates in the non-Schengen terminal, causing a 90-minute queue.
• Paris CDG Parafe automatic doors, based on facial recognition, are not yet compatible with British and American passports. Full compatibility with EES is not expected until the end of March 2026.

On average, border controls take up to 70% more time in certain locations, with peak 3 hours during busy periods. The Czech Republic has even asked its agents to collect biometric data. manually to passport control, due to the lack of operational self-service kiosks, causing major bottlenecks.

Tip Visamundi To reduce your waiting time at border crossings, download the application Travel to Europe (available on iOS and Android) and pre-register your EES data up to 72 hours before your arrival. The app is currently operational for arrivals in Portugal and Sweden, and is gradually being extended to France, Italy and the Netherlands.

ETIAS: the electronic travel authorization for Europe

What is ETIAS?

L'ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is an international pre-departure electronic travel authorization, comparable to’ESTA American or the’Canadian eTA. It is not no visa, but a security check carried out before the trip.

ETIAS will enable the European authorities to verify this, before boarding, The information provided (identity, nationality, address, level of training, professional experience, travel history, etc.) will be cross-referenced with the information provided by the applicant. The information provided (identity, nationality, address, level of education, professional experience, travel history, etc.) will be cross-referenced with safety databases (Europol, Interpol, Schengen Information System, etc.).

Key figures for ETIAS

Features	Detail
Scheduled launch	Last quarter of 2026 (October-December)
Rate	20 € per request (free for children under 18 and over 70)
Validity	3 years or until passport expires
Nationalities concerned	59 countries visa-free (~1.4 billion potential travelers)
Authorized length of stay	90 days over a 180-day period
Multiple inputs	Yes, unlimited during validity
European countries covered	30+ countries (Schengen + EFTA)
Travel reasons	Tourism, business, transit, medical reasons
Transition period	6 months (no refusal of entry without ETIAS) + 6-month grace period for first-time travellers

Who should apply for ETIAS?

ETIAS will apply to nationals of 59 countries currently exempt from visa requirements for the Schengen area. Among the nationalities most concerned:

Region	Countries covered by ETIAS (non-exhaustive list)
Americas	United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Venezuela
Asia-Pacific	Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao
Europe (excluding Schengen)	United Kingdom, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Serbia
Middle East & others	United Arab Emirates, Israel, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, and others

Important information: Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are not not concerned by ETIAS. Travelers requiring a Schengen visa (short-stay visa) are not affected either: they will continue to apply for a standard visa.

Which European countries will require ETIAS?

ETIAS will be required to enter the more than 30 European countries, including :

• THE 27 Schengen countries Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland (EFTA), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein (EFTA), Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway (EFTA), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (EFTA)
• Cyprus (after its full integration into Schengen)
• THE microstates with open borders to the Schengen area (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican)

Timetable for ETIAS

Tip Visamundi ETIAS has been postponed many times since it was first announced (2021, then 2023, then 2024, then 2025). The current timetable (Q4 2026) is the most credible to date, since it depends on the deployment of EES, which is now well advanced. We will update this page as soon as the exact date is known.

ETIAS vs EES: what's the difference?

Criteria	EES	ETIAS
Nature	Biometric border registration system	Pre-departure electronic travel authorization
When	At the border crossing	Before departure (online)
Who	All non-EU travellers	59 visa-exempt nationalities only
Cost	Free	20 (free for children under 18 and over 70)
Validity	Data retained for 3 years	3 years or passport expires
Status	Deployment in progress (operational 10/04/2026)	Scheduled for launch Q4 2026
Comparable to	Passport stamps (replaced)	ESTA (UNITED STATES), eTA (Canada)

Both systems are additional. ETIAS checks passengers before their arrival in Europe, while EES records them at the border crossing. Together, they will enable the EU to track entries and exits reliably, detect overstays and enhance security without compromising the smooth flow of travel.

With these smarter borders and increasingly automated controls, the EU will be able to continue strengthening its visa liberalization policy without compromising the safety of its citizens. For travelers, whether they are required to apply for a Schengen visa or not, these systems will mean simplicity and fluidity in the medium term, despite initial deployment difficulties.

Did you know? In 2024, the European Union welcomed more than 700 million international visitors, confirming its position as the world's leading tourist destination. The ETIAS and EES are designed to manage this influx more efficiently and safely.