The EU is introducing the EES: what expats need to know

From 12 October 2025, the European Union will begin introducing the Entry/Exit System (EES) a new digital register for people crossing the external borders of the Schengen Area. The launch will be phased over about six months across 29 European countries, including Czechia, so procedures may look slightly different from airport to airport or at some land and sea crossings during the transition. The goal is to replace manual passport stamping with an electronic record and make it easier to track the 90/180-day limit for short stays.

In practice, your first trip after EES goes live will take a little longer. Border officers (or self-service kiosks where available) will scan your passport and capture biometrics a facial image and, in most cases, fingerprints. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints, but a facial photo is still taken. Once this initial registration is done, later crossings should be faster because the system already knows you. During the first months, you may still receive a physical stamp alongside the digital record while authorities complete the switchover.

EES applies to non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals travelling on short stays (tourism or business up to 90 days in any 180-day period), whether you’re visa-exempt or hold a short-stay visa. If you are an expat in Czechia with a long-term visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen country, EES generally doesn’t apply to your re-entry but you must carry your residence card and show it proactively. If you fail to present it, the officer may treat you as a short-stay visitor and register you in EES, which can cause confusion later.

You’ll encounter EES whenever you cross a Schengen external border. For Prague, that means flights to and from non-Schengen destinations (for example, London, New York, Dubai). It also covers land returns from non-Schengen neighbours such as Ukraine or Serbia, and sea ports in participating states. Schengen countries and associated states (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) are in; Ireland and Cyprus are not.

On data handling, EES stores your identity and travel movements, as well as biometrics, to automate stay calculations and help authorities spot overstays. As a rule of thumb, standard records are kept for three years; if there’s no recorded exit or an overstay is flagged, the retention can be up to five years. Access is limited to border authorities and visa services under EU rules.

Expect a progressive start between 12 October 2025 and April 2026. Not every checkpoint will switch on the same day, and airports, ferry terminals, coach operators and rail links will phase in equipment and workflows. Build in extra time for your first post-launch trip, especially at busy hubs or new automated gates.

A quick note on ETIAS: it’s often confused with EES, but it’s a separate travel authorisation planned for visa-exemptvisitors and currently expected after EES (targeted for late 2026). If you live in Czechia on a long-term visa or residence permit, ETIAS shouldn’t be required for your return home but it may matter for visiting family or colleagues who enter as short-stay, visa-exempt travellers.

Bottom line for expats: carry your residence permit with your passport, show it on arrival, and allow extra time the first time you travel after 12 October 2025. If you’re planning trips outside Schengen or expecting visitors from non-EU countries keep them informed that initial crossings may be slower due to the one-time biometric enrolment. Travelling with children? Remember: no fingerprints under 12, but a photo is still taken. And if your situation is more complex (mixed-status family, frequent short trips, cross-border work), we can map out the simplest steps for you so the EES rollout is smooth and stress-free.