HOW YOUR HOLIDAY IN EUROPE WILL CHANGE THIS AUTUMN – AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Trips to Europe are set to change from October when the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) comes into effect.

Fingerprints and photographs will be taken from third-country travellers (from outside the EU or Schengen area) travelling visa free to the 29 countries in the Schengen area for the first time after EES launches.

An app that would allow passengers to provide some information for EES before arriving at a border crossing is set to be launched this year.

Airports in France, the Netherlands and Italy will not begin pilots of the app until 2026, however.

The European Border Agency Frontex says the “Travel to Europe” mobile app will go live in “selected travel hubs” starting with Stockholm’s Arlanda airport later in 2025.

EES will replace the manual stamping of passports on arrival and departure from the EU.

These checks will take place at airports or at Dover, Eurotunnel and St Pancras International Station, where French border force checks are carried out in the UK.

Here’s what we know so far.

How will the EES ‘Travel to Europe’ app work?  

Passengers will be able to “pre-register” travel document data and a photograph of their face within 72 hours before arriving in, or departing from, the EU. The app will also allow users to provide their replies to the conditions of an entry questionnaire.

Use of the app will be voluntary for both EU member states and travellers.

“The app is ready to be used with the start of the EES in the coming autumn,” said the statement from Frontex.

The purpose of the app is to reduce processing times at borders.

Software company iProov has been involved in the app’s development. Andrew Bud, iProov’s founder and chief executive, told The i Paper: “We partner with Inverid [an identity verification provider] in the delivery of the Travel to Europe app in support of the upcoming European Entry Exit/System. Our role is to capture and biometrically verify the selfie of the traveller, assure its integrity with strong liveness and manage the quality of the selfie to meet relevant international standards.”

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Where will the app be used?

Arlanda airport is expected to be the first to launch the app. Frontex said it is also planning pilots with Dutch, French and Italian authorities in “selected major entry points” in 2026.

Countries are being encouraged to integrate the app with their national systems. Frontex said it was not for every border crossing point, but for big travel hubs where the time saved would “make a real difference”.

Non-EU countries that are in the Schengen area will also implement EES. The four non-EU Schengen area countries are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Dover is not among the travel hubs using the app, but it is in communication with the Home Office to find out more information.

A Eurostar spokesperson said the use of the Frontex app is ultimately a decision for the member states. “While final decisions are still being made, Eurostar supports all tools which will help a seamless border crossing for our customers,” they added.

What is EES for?

EES is a digital system to record third-country travellers without a visa entering and exiting the Schengen area. It will replace the manual stamping of passports on arrival and departure from the open border area. The system will also record if third-country travellers stay with the EU or Schengen area for beyond the permitted 90 days in each 180-day period.

Fingerprints, photographs and passport information will be taken the first time a third-country traveller goes to the Schengen area after EES launches. On subsequent visits, the information will be verified.

The biometric data will be kept for a certain period, after which a traveller’s biometric data will be registered again.

The launch of EES has been delayed several times.

What other changes are there for travel to Europe?

The EU is also bringing in a visa-waiver known as the Etias (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) for travellers from outside the EU or Schengen area.

It will launch at least six months after EES. The European Commission suggests it will start in the final quarter of 2026.

Etias will apply for travel to 30 European countries and the application will cost €7. Some travellers will be exempt from the fee.

An Etias will be valid for three years, or until the passport used in an application expires – whichever comes first.

2025-06-25T05:44:30Z