The European Union is preparing to abolish passport stamps and implement a new digital system at its borders. Starting Sunday, October 12, Australians and citizens of other non-EU countries traveling to Europe may encounter the new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES).

What is the EES?

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated system for registering third-country nationals who are entering or leaving the EU for short stays, each time they cross the external borders of participating countries — including Greece.

The EES will be used by the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Denmark,
Switzerland, Greece, Estonia, Iceland,
Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta,
Norway, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland

What counts as a “short stay”?

A “short stay” is defined as up to 90 days within any 180-day period, calculated across all participating European countries using the EES.

Who is considered a third-country national?

A third-country national is anyone not holding the nationality of:

• An EU member state, or
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

These non-EU citizens traveling within the Schengen Area (29 countries, including 25 EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland) will soon be subject to the new system.

Ireland and Cyprus will continue to manually process travelers’ passports, according to The Guardian.

Passport stamps replaced by biometrics

Instead of stamping passports, countries will now:

• Record facial images
• Scan fingerprints
• Register entry and exit dates

“The EES will gradually replace passport stamping with a digital system that records travelers’ entry and exit, speeding up border checks and helping staff work more efficiently,” according to the EU’s official website.

The goal is to:

• Prevent illegal immigration
• Provide better access to traveler data for border authorities
• Reduce security risks

Start date and rollout

• The system begins this weekend
• Full implementation is expected by April 10, 2026

Who is affected?

All non-EU passport holders traveling into Schengen countries for short stays will use the EES, which is free of charge.

If travelers use:

• A self-service kiosk at their destination, or
• A mobile app (if offered by the destination country),
  border crossing will be faster.

What travelers need to do

Upon arrival:

• Travelers must answer questions from the Schengen Borders Code
• Their personal file will be created in the system

This data is retained for 3 years. During this time, only fingerprints or photos will be required for re-entry.

The Guardian also reports that initial delays may occur:

“The registration process will only take a few minutes, but once the system is in operation, you may experience longer lines at the border.”

For long stays (over 180 days)

Australia has visa waiver agreements with several Schengen countries, including:

• Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany,
• Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

Each country has its own rules for stays beyond 90 days, so travelers should ensure they are familiar with the specific terms of the agreement in the country they plan to stay longer in.