We’ve detailed what ETIAS is and how it might impact your travel plans, highlighting potential delays due to “EU Entry/Exit System (EES) issues” and the upcoming implementation of the EES in autumn 2024. This article dives deeper into the latest developments regarding the Entry/Exit System.
Understanding the EES
To provide a comprehensive update on the Entry/Exit System, we need to go back to its origins. Document 32017R2226 refers to “Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2017,” which established the EES to register entry, exit, and refusal data for third-country nationals crossing EU external borders and outlined conditions for law enforcement access to the EES.
Initially, the focus was on the European Commission’s recommendation for electronic recognition of third-country nationals’ (TCNs) entry and exit at EU borders. The system would record the time, location, name, travel document type, and biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) of TCNs, eliminating the need for passport stamps by airport immigration staff.
Recording the date and location is crucial for enforcing the 90-day stay limit within any 180-day period in the Schengen area. Besides tracking visa-free travellers, the EES will also monitor short-stay visa holders’ movements.
The EES aims to enhance security by documenting refusals of entry and their reasons, facilitating easier storage and sharing of visitor data. It will also help track TCNs who overstay or travel unauthorized within EU member states.
Challenges with the EU Entry/Exit System
Delays in the EES implementation were caused by issues with contractors, pushing the original 2022 launch to mid-2023. Further outsourcing complications have postponed the timeline to late 2023 and beyond. With 2024 underway, the EES is still not operational.
France advocated for delaying the EES until after the 2024 Paris Olympics. The latest rumored start date is October 6, 2024, though many EU and non-EU states are calling for further postponement.
As a TCN, you will use the EES self-service when entering and exiting EU member states (excluding Cyprus and Ireland) and the four non-EU Schengen Area countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Despite Brexit, EES procedures will apply to ferry crossings from Dover and international train services due to the British-French border arrangements. Dover’s popularity with car and coach passengers could complicate the process further.
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