ETIAS and the EES: Key Differences Explained

The European Union is getting ready to launch two new border-management systems that will change how people travel to Europe: the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the Entry/Exit System (EES). Because the names and acronyms sound similar, they are easy to mix up — but they do different jobs. Here is how they compare across purpose, data and timing.

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Why the EU is introducing both

Both systems aim to strengthen European security and the security of travellers, but they target different things. ETIAS is a new entry requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay — the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus. With ETIAS, visa-free travellers will need to apply for a travel authorisation before starting their trip. It is not a visa, and it does not change the visa-free status of those travellers.

The EES, by contrast, registers both visa-free and visa-required travellers entering Europe for a short stay. No action is required from travellers before their trip, because registration takes place at the external border of the European countries using the system. It happens every time a traveller crosses an external border and replaces the manual stamping of passports.

How each system handles your data

When applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers provide personal information, including their address, passport details, current occupation and information about any past travel to conflict zones or criminal convictions. Importantly, no biometric data, such as fingerprints, is collected with ETIAS.

The EES works differently. It collects travellers' facial image and fingerprints, along with travel document data and the date and place where the traveller entered and exited the territory of the participating countries. In short, ETIAS is a pre-travel form, while the EES is a biometric record created at the border.

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When they arrive and what you need to do

Timing is the other big difference. You will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation well in advance of your trip, whereas EES registration happens on the spot at the external border. The two systems will not launch at the same time: the EES will become operational first, and ETIAS will follow a few months later.

At the time of writing, the exact dates were still to be announced by the EU later in the year. For a plain-language summary of both systems and who they affect, see our ETIAS overview.