Starting today, the EU’s new border management system is officially fully operational at all external border crossing points of the EU, except for Cyprus and Ireland. The Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for short stays – up to 90 days in 180-day period. It replaces the old way of manually stamping passports.
Under the new system, when a non-EU national arrives at a border crossing point in the Schengen Area for the first time, the following information is registered in the system:
- passport details
- biometric data
- entry and exit records
For each subsequent entry and exit, only a quick verification will be needed, making the process faster.
The new system modernises border controls in the EU by:
- speeding up border checks, so travellers spend less time waiting
- helping border control staff work more efficiently
- improving security, by giving border and law enforcement authorities access to important traveller information
- helping prevent irregular migration
This new digital border system has been progressively rolled out across the EU since October 2025 and is fully operational as of 10 April 2026.
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