You have to be at the airport earlier. New rules for entry to Schengen countries
Travel rules change from time to time. New mandatory documents or fees are introduced. Now a new entry/exit system has launched in Europe.
The new, automated European Union IT system (EES), used to record the entry and exit of citizens of non-EU countries, was launched on April 10, 2026. This is a big change for tourists. Here’s what you can expect, including: at airports.
Launch of the EES system in Europe
Until now, in many countries it was possible to manually stamp passports if tourists came to a country belonging to the Schengen area and were from one that did not belong to it. There is now a modern digital system in place that identifies travelers based on their biometric data. It is intended for citizens of countries outside the European Union. For everything to work, fingerprints and a photo are required, only children under 12 years of age are exempt from this. Importantly, registration in the system is valid for 3 years, and during each subsequent trip the data will only be verified.
The solution is called the Entry/Exit System (EES). It makes it easier to register non-EU citizens who go for a short stay, among others: to Poland (this applies to as many as 29 countries in total). The system also includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Hungary and Italy.
This new feature has already been widely announced, as the solution will be introduced gradually from October 12, 2025. Only from April 10, 2026, the system will be fully operational and stamping passports will no longer be necessary.
What do we gain from the new controls?
The new EES system was introduced for security reasons. In a world where new threats await us, good identification of visitors is crucial. The border is not allowed to be crossed, among others: persons posing a public threat. So far, since October 12, 2025, the digital system has allowed for the refusal of entry to 24,000 people. unauthorized persons.
The introduction of the system may also have disadvantages. The problem is the queues at the borders, and the worst is expected to be during the holiday season. Some tourists will take longer to check in. Many countries still have to modify their border infrastructure and refine logistics.
In the near future, the EES system will be supplemented with ETIAS, i.e. the European Travel Information and Authorization System.
