It all starts this week, holidaymakers heading into Europe will soon face a new kind of border check. On October 12, the European Union will begin operating the new Entry/Exit System (EES). Over a transitional rollout period of six months, the system will be progressively deployed at external Schengen area borders, with full implementation expected by April 10, 2026.

So, what is EES? In short, it replaces the old passport‑stamp regime for non‑EU nationals (including UK travellers) on short stays. At each entry or exit, travellers will register biometric data (fingerprints and facial images) along with passport information, and the system will record when and where they cross the border. Passport stamps will no longer be relied on for monitoring entries and exits.

The system is designed to help authorities check overstays, reduce fraud, and make border checks more efficient.

How long does your record last — and how much time do you have left in Schengen?

Total Travel team members at the Yorkshire Ball

placeholder image — Total Travel team members at the Yorkshire Ball

Once created, your EES record is valid for three years, so if you re‑enter the Schengen area within that period (using the same passport), you won’t need a full registration again — just a photo or fingerprint check to match your stored data.

However, the 90‑day rule still applies: non‑EU travellers may spend at most 90 days in every 180‑day period in Schengen. The EES will automatically track entries and exits, helping border authorities detect if someone exceeds that limit.

In terms of “how much time you have left” in Schengen: travellers should themselves monitor their days (using tools, spreadsheets, or online calculators) — the system will flag overstays, but you cannot “ask EES” for a balance in the way a credit card app shows your credit.

What this means for your you

Travellers heading via Dover, Eurotunnel or Eurostar will have EES checks at the border before leaving the UK.
Airport arrivals into a Schengen country will carry out EES processing on arrival.
If you are within the three-year period since you last provided it, your fingerprints and facial image will be verified rather than re-collected.
Ensure that your passports are in good order, and be ready for some extra time at border controls in the early months of rollout.

Unfortunately, once again, this means we will no longer collect stamps in our passports for those of us (like me) that like to look back. It is worth noting that EES is NOT the same as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), this is the chargeable at 20 Euro and is now expected to come in to play toward the end of 2026, more in that nearer the time.

On a lighter note, last week staff from all our three branches were lucky enough to be invited to the Yorkshire Ball which was held at the lovely Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds. The Travel Yorkshire Ball is an annual black-tie fundraising event for the travel industry in the Yorkshire region. It brings together travel agents and our trade partners for a night of dining, entertainment, and networking.

We were delighted to be hosted by Jet2holidays, Newmarket Holidays, ABTA and Leeds Bradford Airport and I can definitely say ‘by eck we scrub up well’.