After years of delays, the travel industry finally has a firm start date for the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES) and a better idea when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) will come into force – the EU’s equivalent of the US Esta.
The way we travel to the European Union is poised to changed dramatically over the next 18 months (Credit: iStock / dmbaker)
It’s been a long wait; EES, which will require non-EU travellers to register their fingerprints and submit to a biometric facial scan when they enter the bloc, was originally proposed in 2016 and had been due to start in 2022.
However, issues with the underlying technology meant the launch was postponed until May 2023, then late 2023 and then again to November 2024. The EU is now proposing to switch it on in October. Once live, EES will replace passport stamping.
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