From Sunday, all non-EU citizens, including British visitors, will face new biometric checks when entering and exiting the European Union under its long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES).
The EES will require travellers to register fingerprints, facial images, and personal details when they first enter the Schengen area, which includes all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Full implementation is expected by 10 April, 2026, with a gradual rollout to prevent long queues.
The electronic system replaces manual passport stamping with digital records linking travel documents to individuals using biometrics. It aims to modernise border management, prevent illegal migration, combat identity fraud, and monitor overstayers.
First-time arrivals must scan their passports, provide fingerprints, and undergo a facial scan. Subsequent trips will only require facial verification. Children under 12 will have their photograph taken. There is no cost for EES registration.
Checks will occur at airports, ports, train terminals, and road border crossings within the Schengen area. At the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel in Folkestone, and London St Pancras, EES registration will be conducted on departure from the UK by French border officials. Passengers will not need to register again until leaving their destination.
The EU expects minimal delays as EES is gradually introduced, with officials able to suspend checks temporarily if queues grow. Freight and coach traffic at Dover and Eurotunnel will face checks from 12 October, with passenger vehicles following later. Eurostar will phase in procedures gradually. The British government advises travellers to allow extra time while the system settles.
EES is a precursor to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), expected to launch in late 2026. Non-Schengen citizens will need to apply online, provide travel details, pay a €20 fee, and the authorisation will be valid for three years or until passport expiry.
Since April, European visitors to Britain have had to obtain electronic permits before travel.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 28 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
China will send an astronaut to its space station on Sunday for a one-year mission, the longest duration for the country so far. The mission will help study long-duration human physiology in space as China works toward a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect software vulnerabilities, reducing the time organisations have to respond to cyber threats, Verizon said in its annual data breach report.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
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