EES Start Date Set for Autumn 2025 as Europe Confirms a Phased Border Rollout

Europe's much-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) finally has a firm start date. The biometric border scheme is scheduled to begin for some UK travellers heading to the EU on 12 October 2025, marking the start of a gradual switch to digital frontier checks across the continent.

The system is designed to digitise border crossings, monitor non-EU citizens as they enter and leave, help identify suspected criminals, and enforce the 90-days-in-180 limit on short stays.

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What British travellers can expect

For British passport holders, the most visible change is biometric registration. The first time they cross under the new system, travellers will need to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics. Children under 12 are exempt from the fingerprint requirement.

Rather than switching on overnight, EES will follow a phased implementation that runs until 9 April 2026. From 10 April 2026 the system is due to be fully operational at every external border crossing point, replacing the long-standing routine of manually stamping passports.

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Where ETIAS fits in

The separate European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is now expected to follow later, with a launch anticipated between October and December 2026. Once live, it will require visa-exempt visitors to obtain an online authorisation before they travel.

The cost has changed too: the ETIAS fee has risen from €7 to €20. Travellers planning a trip after the rollout can get an early sense of how the two systems fit together in our guide to the new EU border rules.