From April 10, 2026, the Electronic Border Control System (EES) will become fully operational at the external borders of the European Union, requiring citizens of non-EU countries to submit biometric data, Euronews reports.

The system will capture a facial photograph and fingerprints. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. Traditional passport stamps will be discontinued and replaced by electronic entries in the database. Biometric data will be stored for three years, after which the process will need to be repeated. For return trips during this period, only a photo verification will be required.

The system's trial operation at a number of airports began in October 2025. During the pilot period, more than 24 thousand foreigners were denied entry due to invalid or forged documents, as well as the inability to confirm the purpose of their visit.

Experts warn of increased waiting times at border control. According to Airports Council International (ACI), the implementation of EES increased border clearance times by 70% on average; at some airports, queues stretched up to three hours. To ease the burden during the peak summer season, EU authorities granted member states the right to partially suspend the system for the first 90 days after its launch.

A biometric passport is not a mandatory requirement for entry into the European Union, but several countries—including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, the Czech Republic, and France—have already stopped accepting non-biometric five-year passports. Finland will follow suit on June 1, 2026.