The European Parliament adopted a significantly updated Eurodac regulation on 10 April 2024, expanding the biometric data collected from asylum seekers and adding new tools to identify security threats.
The European Commission says the Entry/Exit System is foreseen for October 2025 after earlier delays. Operators at Dover, Eurostar and Eurotunnel say they are preparing infrastructure, but uncertainty over the exact launch date keeps queue concerns in focus.
The Council's 2018 adoption of the ETIAS regulation created the legal basis for the EU's planned pre-travel screening system. It clarified who would need an authorisation, how applications would be checked and why approval would still not guarantee entry.
ABTA's updated consumer guidance recasts Europe travel as a preparation issue rather than a last-minute border surprise. Its message is that travellers should understand the phased EES rollout now, while remembering that ETIAS is not yet open for applications.
Council examined phased implementation strategies for the EES, internal Schengen pressures, and coordinated responses to transnational security challenges.
The EU's long-delayed border overhaul is moving again, but with a major concession. To avoid severe queues, some travellers at busy checkpoints may initially be waved through without full biometric registration.
The December 2025 Justice and Home Affairs Council combined migration policy decisions with another major step in the EU’s border technology agenda. Ministers endorsed a roadmap for future interoperability work while placing EES, ETIAS and Eurodac inside a longer-term plan for Schengen security.
The EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System is meant to modernize border control, but travel industry groups say uncertainty, weak public awareness and operational risks could still delay the rollout and disrupt tourism.
The EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System is facing another delay, leaving many travellers unsure about when the new border checks will begin. Here is a clear overview of what the EES is, who it affects, and how it could change travel to the Schengen Area.
The EU's new Entry/Exit System will change how non-EU travellers cross Schengen borders. Here is what the EES means, who it affects and why launch delays were still being discussed.