Europe’s New Entry/Exit System Begins Rolling Out October 12

Starting October 12, 2025, the Europe Union is beginning its new Entry/Exit System (EES) which will replace manual passport stamps with automated biometric tracking and data capture designed to increase security and make the border process run more smoothly.

Under EES, non-EU travellers – including Canadians – who are travelling short stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, will have their biometric data (fingerprints and facial images), passport or travel document details, and the time/place of entry and exit registered electronically. The existing rules on stays remain.

The new system means the traditional stamp on passports will be phased out in lieu of digital records and may be done with a border officer or by kiosk, depending on where people are arriving. Initially border checks might take longer, due to the rollout of the new process.

The whole implementation will take about six months and should be active at every Schengen border crossing point in all 29 participating countries by April 10, 2026.

Advisors with clients travelling to Europe after October 12 should prepare them for possible fingerprint and facial scans at border control, and recommend allowing extra time at entry and exit points as the new system is rolled out

The implementation of EES is part of the EU’s broader push toward “smart borders”, strengthening security, detecting overstays, and improving traveller flows. The system will automatically detect overstays, and overstaying could lead to fines, deportation or future entry bans.

Border officers make the final decision on whether a traveller may enter or remain in a country, and the Government of Canada says it cannot intervene if entry or exit requirements of the destination are not met. The Canadian government says that during the transition period, stamping will continue in many locations to ease the changeover.