New EU Entry/Exit System Has Come into Force

This Sunday, October 12, the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) officially came into effect for travellers from countries outside the Schengen Area, the zone of free movement across 29 European countries without internal border checks.

The new biometric border control system, which replaces the traditional passport stamping, was launched at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. In its first four hours of operation, 1,819 travellers were registered, according to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, with an Australian citizen being the very first.

Over the next six months, the system will be gradually rolled out to other airports and ports, since it also applies to cruise passengers as well as air travellers. The aim is for it to be fully operational across the entire Schengen Area by April 2026.

How does it work?

When nationals from non-EU countries arrive at a Schengen border for the first time, they’ll need to provide some personal details. Border agents will scan their fingerprints and take a facial photo, storing this information in a secure digital database.

Once registered, travellers with biometric passports will be able to enter and exit more quickly using automated gates. The biometric record will remain valid for three years, making future trips much smoother.

A challenge at first, faster later

Introducing the system is expected to pose some early challenges for Spain, particularly because British nationals, who make up the country’s largest group of visitors, are among those affected. Initial registrations could mean longer wait times at airports such as Madrid or Mallorca, especially during the busy travel season.

However, once fully up and running, the new automated process should make border crossings faster and more efficient, reducing the long passport-control queues that many UK travellers have faced in Spanish airports since Brexit.

TIE essential for British residents in Spain

The British Ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, has confirmed that one of the main current concerns is the number of British residents who still don’t have a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero). He explained that the card “is important because it proves residency, which means you don’t have to go through the same procedures as a British passport holder who isn’t a resident in Spain.”

Ellis clarified that while applying for a TIE was not previously mandatory for Britons holding an older EU green residency certificate, it will now be required for recognition as a resident under the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES). Without it, residents risk having their details entered into the system as non-residents, which could result in them being mistakenly classed as overstaying visitors.

Non-residents are only permitted to stay in the EU for 90 days within any 180-day period, and the ambassador confirmed this rule is unlikely to change. “The first summit since the UK left the EU took place in May this year, where a few agreements were reached and others set in motion, but this wasn’t one of them,” Ellis said. “[British citizens] should assume that the 90-day rule will remain in place.”