EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has confirmed that the long-awaited Entry/Exit System will be launched on 10 November 2024. Since the beginning of the EES in Autumn, the new border controls will affect non-EU nationals.
Announcing the launch date of the EES, Ylva Johansson said:
“The moment is finally there. There may have been times you believed it will never happen,” Johansson said during a visit to the Tallinn-based eu-LISA, the EU agency in charge of the IT infrastructure behind the EES.
“But it’s going to happen. Everything is coming together. We’re in the final testing phase. There is a real momentum now. Carriers, operators, train stations, airports, everyone is getting ready for the big day.”
Since the EES will make sure the stay of non-EU nationals in the EU countries does not exceed 90 days in 180 day period, Ylva Johansson said about it:
“With the EES we will know exactly who enters the Schengen area with a foreign passport. We will know if people stay too long, countering irregular migration. And the EES will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photos and fingerprints.”
What is EES?
The EES Europe is an “Exit/Entry system in the EU countries that keeps digital and automated records of entry and exit of travelers of third countries. The system works for short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travelers whenever they use the EU’s external borders.
The Entry/Exit System is an automated process designed for UK citizens and other non-EU travelers who don’t need a visa to enter the EU. Whenever these travelers cross an EU external border, they must scan their passports or other travel documents at a self-service kiosk. This system doesn’t apply to legal EU citizens, residents, or those holding long-stay visas.
Entry/Exit System will be enforced when entering all EU member states, except Cyprus and Ireland, along with four non-EU countries within the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Introduction of ETIAS after EES is implemented
Almost six months after the launch of EES, the EU will introduce and implement ETIAS. Since no exact date has been announced yet, the EU has already confirmed it will be introduced after six months of the implementation of EES.
This is a travel authorization required by non-EU nationals who have a visa waiver facility. The interested applicants will be able to apply for the ETIAS online by paying 7€ and the confirmation will be digitally linked to their passport.