ProofstayGuide · Travelling in Europe
EES: the EU Entry/Exit System
Quick answer
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is the EU's digital border record for non-EU visitors on short stays. It replaced passport stamps: at your first crossing you give your fingerprints and a face photo, and every entry and exit after that is logged. It has been fully in operation since 10 April 2026, and it counts your 90/180 days for the border guard automatically.
At the border
What happens when you cross
The first time
A border officer, or a self-service kiosk where there is one, takes a photo of your face and scans your fingerprints. Your passport details are read and a digital file is created.[1] A few countries let you pre-register your passport data up to 72 hours before you travel with the EU's official Travel to Europe app. You never "apply" for EES: registration happens at the border. Expect this first crossing to take longer than it used to, especially at busy land and sea ports.
Every time after that
Your face and fingerprints are checked against your file, which is quicker. With a biometric passport and a clear file you can often use the kiosks. Your passport is not stamped, on entry or exit.[1]
What the EES records
- The data in your passport: name, date of birth, nationality, document number.
- The date and place of each entry and exit.
- Your face image and fingerprints.
- Any refusal of entry.[2]
Records of entries and exits are kept for three years. If no exit is recorded, they are kept for five years.[2]
Your days are counted for you
The 90/180 rule hasn't changed: at most 90 days in any 180, and the day you arrive and the day you leave both count.[3] What changed is the counting. Before, an officer leafed through stamps; now the system calculates days used from its own record and flags an overstay the moment you exit. The EU also offers an online "check how long you can stay" tool based on your EES record.
That makes your own count more important, not less. If the system's number and yours disagree, for example because a crossing wasn't recorded or a flight was cancelled, you need your own evidence of when you entered and left.
Who it applies to
Non-EU visitors on short stays
The EES runs at the external borders of 29 European countries: the 25 EU members in the Schengen area plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Ireland and Cyprus don't use it.[4,5]
It applies to non-EU nationals coming for a short stay, with or without a visa: British, American, Canadian and Australian visitors included.
It doesn't apply to
- EU citizens and nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and of Cyprus and Ireland.
- Holders of a residence permit or a long-stay visa, such as a Spanish TIE or a French carte de séjour.
- Non-EU family members of an EU citizen who hold a residence card.
- Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and some others listed on the EU's site (diplomats, cross-border workers with permits, some train crews).[5]
EES and ETIAS are different things
The EES is the record made at the border. ETIAS is a separate online travel authorisation that visa-exempt visitors, including the British and Americans, will need before they travel, for EUR 20. ETIAS is not running yet, and the EU has said it will announce the start date several months in advance.[6]
Sources
- European Commission, How does the EES work?. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- European Commission, Data held by the EES (retention, overstays). Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- European Commission, User manual for the short-stay Schengen calculator. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- European Commission, Schengen area. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- European Commission, To whom does the EES not apply?. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- European Commission, ETIAS official website. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
Your own record
The border counts your days. Keep a count of your own.
Proofstay records the country you are in every day on your iPhone, counts your Schengen days the way the EU does, and shows an officer your entries, exits and days used on one screen. Each record is proofed the moment it is made, so it can't be quietly rewritten. Free to record.
See how Proofstay works →FAQ
EES questions
When did the EES start?
The EES started on 12 October 2025 and was rolled out gradually at the external borders of the 29 participating countries. It has been fully in operation since 10 April 2026.
Does the EES apply to British travellers?
Yes. UK nationals visiting the Schengen area for short stays are registered in the EES like other non-EU visitors. UK nationals who live in an EU country with a residence document, such as a Spanish TIE or a French carte de séjour, are not.
Is the EES the same as ETIAS?
No. The EES records your entries and exits at the border. ETIAS is a separate travel authorisation that visa-exempt visitors will need to apply for online before travelling, for EUR 20. ETIAS is not in operation yet.
Does the EES change the 90/180 rule?
No. The rule is the same: at most 90 days in any 180-day period, with entry and exit days counted. What changes is that the count is now automatic, from the system's own record of your crossings, so an overstay is visible at once.
How long does the EES keep my data?
Records of your entries and exits are kept for three years. If no exit is recorded, they are kept for five years.
Can I apply for EES now?
No. There is nothing to apply for. You are registered in the EES the first time you cross a Schengen external border, at passport control or a self-service kiosk. If a site asks you to pay for EES, it is not official. ETIAS, the separate travel authorisation, is the one you will apply for, and it hasn't started yet.
Is there an official EES app?
Yes, the EU's Travel to Europe app, but few countries support it yet. As of October 2026 you can pre-register your passport data and face image within 72 hours before entering or leaving Sweden, and fill in the entry questionnaire for Portugal. You need a biometric passport. It speeds up the border check but doesn't replace it.
Do I still get a passport stamp?
No. Passports of travellers registered in the EES are no longer stamped. Keep your own record of trips, such as boarding passes and a day log, if you want something to compare with the system's count.