EES Gets a Confirmed Start Date as the ETIAS Fee Rises Ahead of Launch

The EES rollout was finally given a fixed opening date

Updated EU materials showed that the Entry/Exit System would begin on 12 October 2025, with phased implementation running until 9 April 2026. The scheme would digitise the movements of visa-free third-country nationals, including British travellers, and initial checks would combine biometrics with continued passport stamping during the transition.

Travellers still faced uneven procedures during the rollout

The article stressed that the first six months would not look the same at every frontier post. Some border points would require fingerprints and a facial image earlier than others, creating what was effectively a patchwork launch rather than a single clean switch. Children under 12 would be exempt from fingerprinting, but not from the wider change in border processing.

Photo by Lara Jameson on Pexels

ETIAS moved later and became more expensive

The EU also signalled that ETIAS would start in the last quarter of 2026 after EES was fully operational, while the expected fee rose from 7 euros to 20 euros. The practical consequence was that travellers had a clearer sequence to follow: first the EES rollout, then a later ETIAS application requirement, with the new permit remaining free for under-18s and over-70s.