EU border checks: what the EES means now, and when ETIAS starts

Checked against the official EU and Japanese government websites on 24 September 2026. These rules change; the official sites linked below always have the latest word. This page is not legal advice and is not an official EU or Japanese government page.

What is the EES, and when did it start?

The Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system that registers non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay each time they cross the external borders of the European countries that use it.¹ It applies whether or not you need a short-stay visa.¹ For the EES, “non-EU national” also leaves out citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.¹

The European Commission set 12 October 2025 as the start of a progressive roll-out. That roll-out lasted until 9 April 2026, and from 10 April 2026 the EES has been fully operational at all external border crossing points of the countries using it, which number 29.¹⁵⁴

What happens at the border?

On your first crossing, passport control officers take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints, and record them in a digital file.² On later crossings they only check the face and fingerprints already on file.²

• If you do not need a visa, the system stores four fingerprints and your facial image. If you need a short-stay visa, it stores only your facial image, because your fingerprints were taken for the visa.⁴
• Children under 12 do not currently have their fingerprints scanned.⁴
• Refusing to give your biometric data means being refused entry.³
• Passports: both biometric and non-biometric passports are accepted, if valid and the other entry conditions are met.⁴

The EES records the data in your travel document, the date and place of each entry and exit, your facial image and fingerprints, and whether you were refused entry.³

Does the EES change how long you can stay?

No. The implementation of the EES changes nothing to the rules on short stays: these rules are harmonised in the Schengen Borders Code and allow periods of stay for 90 days in any 180 days.⁴ The EU's EES pages say the 180-day period is calculated as a single period for all the countries using the EES, and that people who stay too long are added to a list of overstayers.¹³ The EU's online stay calculator does not count any time in the Schengen area that began before 10 April 2026.⁶

Who does the EES not apply to?

• Nationals of the countries using the EES, and of Cyprus and Ireland.⁵
• Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas.⁵ A Commission news item of 27 July 2026 adds that holders of residence permits and long-stay visas issued by Cyprus or Ireland are registered.¹⁶
• Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and holders of a passport issued by the Vatican City State or the Holy See.⁵

The official list of countries using the EES is on the EU's travel website.¹ The official pages we read do not mention any fee for the EES.

What is ETIAS, and when does it start?

The EU's ETIAS website says: ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point. The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.⁷ The Commission's own page says the same.¹⁷

Older EU news items said ETIAS was expected in the last quarter of 2026, with transitional and grace periods of at least 12 months after it starts.¹³ The current pages give no date, so we give none.

When it starts, ETIAS will be an entry requirement for nationals of 59 visa-exempt countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, visiting any of 30 European countries: the 29 Schengen countries and Cyprus.¹³⁹¹⁴ It will be linked to your passport and valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first; a new passport needs a new ETIAS.⁸ It allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with Cyprus counted separately.¹⁰ It does not guarantee entry.⁸

What will ETIAS cost, and how will you apply?

• Fee: EUR 20 when you apply on the official website. Under-18s, over-70s and qualifying family members of EU nationals do not pay, and the fee is not refundable.¹⁰ The Commission's page says this fee was going through a review by the Council and the European Parliament and takes effect when ETIAS starts.¹⁷
• Where: only the official ETIAS website, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias, or the official ETIAS app.¹⁰¹² Other websites that apply on your behalf may charge more; anything above EUR 20 goes to them.¹⁰
• How long: most applications within minutes; if not, a decision within four days, which can be extended by up to 14 days if you are asked for more information or up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview.⁸ The FAQ words this differently (at the latest 96 hours, plus up to 30 days).¹⁰
• Passport: it should not expire in less than three months and should not be older than 10 years.¹¹ Nationals of some countries, including Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, can apply only with a biometric passport; otherwise they need a visa.¹¹
• No fingerprints: ETIAS collects no biometric data.¹⁴

Beware of unofficial sites. The EU warns: There are dozens of unofficial ETIAS websites, often pretending to provide official information about the European Union’s upcoming and not yet in practice travel requirements for visa-free nationals, in many languages.¹² All official EU websites use the europa.eu domain.¹²

Our 34 European countries: where do EES and ETIAS apply?

By our count, 28 of the 34 countries we cover are on the EU's list of countries using the EES, and 29 on its list of countries that will require ETIAS.¹⁹ “Not on the official list” means the country is not among the 29 EES or 30 ETIAS countries the EU lists; ask that country's own authorities about its entry rules.¹⁵¹³

Japan: JESTA

Japan is creating its own electronic travel authorisation, JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which will screen travellers using information they provide online in advance.¹⁹ The law creating it was passed on 29 May 2026 and published on 5 June 2026 (Law No. 32 of 2026); the JESTA provisions take effect on a date to be set by Cabinet Order, no later than 31 March 2029.¹⁸ The Immigration Services Agency aims to introduce JESTA during Japan's 2028 fiscal year, and says design and development began in April 2026.¹⁹²⁰

What this page cannot tell you

• Your own case. Visas, residence permits and nationality rules have many exceptions; the official sites have the full lists.
• Future dates. We will not guess when ETIAS or JESTA starts. Both will be announced officially.
• Countries outside the EU lists. Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye set their own entry rules, which we have not covered here.