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No passport stamps and more checks: how travel in Europe will change from April 10

2026-04-06 17:12:11Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

No passport stamps and more checks: how travel in Europe will change from April

Travel to Europe could change significantly in the coming days.

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which began a gradual rollout on October 12 last year in 29 European countries, will become fully operational as of April 10, 2026.

This means that passport stamps will be replaced with digitally recorded entries and exits, along with entry refusals for non-EU short-stay travellers.

Biometric information such as facial images and fingerprints, along with personal data from the travel document being used, will also be recorded.

This new system has been implemented to modernise the EU's border security and immigration systems, as well as to reduce crime and fraud and identify security risks.

Since its implementation, according to the European Commission, more than 24,000 people have been refused entry for reasons such as expired and false documents, or due to the inability to fully justify the reason for their visit. In addition, more than 600 people have been identified as posing security risks to Europe.

To whom does the EES apply and who is exempt?

The EES system applies to non-EU/Schengen citizens who travel to Schengen or EU countries for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

This includes UK citizens, as well as visa-exempt travellers, whether travelling for tourism or business. This also applies to people who own property in the EU but do not have a residence permit.

However, Ireland and Cyprus are excluded from using the EES, meaning they will continue with manual passport checks.

Some people are also excluded from the EES.

This includes citizens of EU and Schengen member states, as well as persons with long-term visas or residence permits from these countries, including non-EU citizens.

Similarly, family members of EU citizens who hold a residence card from one of these countries are exempt, along with local residents with a valid local border traffic permit.

Train and aircraft crew members on international trips are also exempt, along with armed forces personnel and their families on Partnership for Peace or NATO missions.

There may also be some exceptions for day trips for cruises that start and end outside the Schengen area.

Citizens of Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City and Monaco will not have to go through the EEA.

Will there be delays at airports due to EES?

There are likely to be significant delays at airports in the first months of full operation of the EES, despite the EU's promise to allow some flexibility to take into account excessive summer queues.

"Waiting times are now regularly reaching up to two hours at peak traffic hours, with some airports reporting even longer queues," airports association ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe (A4E) said in a joint statement.

One of the main reasons for more delays is that all third-country passengers have been required to register through the EES since March 31.

Previously, border control authorities were able to suspend EES processes fully or partially during peak travel times. However, this will no longer be possible from 10 April onwards.

This means that travelers will most likely need to arrive at the airport about an hour and a half to two hours earlier than usual, to account for specific EES delays after April 10.

However, these delays are likely to ease in the medium term, once EES processes are streamlined.

Meanwhile, airport and airline associations are continuing to urge the European Commission to allow border control authorities to partially or fully suspend the EES when necessary for the entire 2026 summer season.

Do you need a biometric passport for the EES?

Biometric passports are not strictly required for the EES. They are only needed to use the self-service kiosks for faster registration and entry.

Standard passport holders must use staffed booths for initial registrations and provide a photo and fingerprints.

This data will be stored for three years, making future checks significantly faster. Travelers who refuse to provide biometric data will be automatically denied entry.

Children under 12 years old are not required to give fingerprints, but they must still be photographed.

Do I need to register for EES in advance?

You do not need to register for the EES in advance, as registration takes place at the border when you arrive in the EU.

The registration process depends on whether you have a biometric or standard passport, as detailed above.

However, there is another option for travelers who want a faster process.

The Travel to Europe mobile app, an official EU app specifically designed for the EES system, allows third-country travellers to pre-register biometric photos and passport data 72 hours before arrival, to speed up border checks.

However, this does not replace the required border control interview.

Currently, it is only available in a few countries such as Portugal and Sweden, with plans to expand the app across the EU.

The app can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store, where users must complete an introductory questionnaire and take a selfie to confirm their identity.


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