What is the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) and how does it affect travel to Czechia?
Short-stay travellers from outside Europe can expect stricter border checks when entering the Schengen Area after the introduction of the European Entry/Exit System (EES). Czechia is among the first countries to fully implement the system, which aims to speed up border crossings and curb illegal migration.
The EES is a new EU-wide biometric system designed to log the time and place of entry and exit of non-EU short-stay travellers to the Schengen Area - a zone of 29 European countries with open internal borders, including most EU member states as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
For EU citizens, the EES brings no noticeable change. However, if you are not a national of an EU or Schengen Area member state, the EES may affect you - but only if you are visiting Europe for a short stay, defined as up to 90 days within any 180-day period, calculated across all countries using the system. For instance, if you are a British or U.S. citizen visiting Czechia for a week or two, you will encounter the new EES system.
Replacing traditional passport stamps, the EES creates a digital record supported by biometric checks such as facial images and fingerprints. Each crossing will automatically register key information including personal details, travel document data, biometric identifiers, and the precise time and location of entry and exit, as well as any entry refusals. What dos this look like?
For instance, if you are a British or U.S. citizen visiting Czechia for a week or two, you will encounter the new EES system.
At most Czech airports, the system requires non-EU visitors to provide fingerprints and facial scans at self-service kiosks installed in the arrivals area, before proceeding to passport control. Exempt from using the kiosks are resident permit and long-stay visa holders and crew members. Passengers with reduced mobility, children below 140 cm, and non-biometric passport holders will be attended by airport staff.
Although the system has been fully implemented in Czechia since October 12, border officials will continue stamping passports for the next six months. This helps countries that are adopting the EES more gradually to verify that travellers received their visas in Czechia. All Schengen Area countries have until April 2026 to complete the transition.
Because Czechia has only six public international airports, it opted to launch the system nationwide from day one. Josef Urban, spokesperson for the Czech Foreign Police, explains:
“We are one of four countries - along with Lithuania, Sweden, and Latvia - that fully implemented the EES on day one. Unlike Czechia, other states have borders with countries outside the Schengen Area or maritime borders, which makes the process more complicated for them.”
The biometric data collected is stored in a centralized EU database and remains valid for three years. According to the European Commission, the system is designed to help prevent illegal migration and ensure the security of EU citizens, while making travel smoother and safer. The Commission also underlines that EES meets the highest standards of data protection and privacy, ensuring that personal information remains secure. Once a traveller leaves the Schengen Area or obtains a long-term residence permit, their data is automatically deleted. Josef Urban explains:
"We are one of four countries - along with Lithuania, Sweden, and Latvia - that fully implemented the EES on day one."
Josef Urban
“For example, if a Ukrainian citizen enters on a short-term stay, they must go through the EES. However, if they apply for temporary protection in the weeks or months that follow, the police are required to delete their data from the system so their short-stay period no longer counts. The system only applies to those staying short-term, whether visa-free or on a short-stay visa.”
The EES marks a significant shift in how border crossings are managed for non-EU travellers in Europe, promising to make traveling more efficient.
