EES November launch date in doubt

The EU’s long-awaited Entry-Exit System (EES), which is set to launch on 10 November, may face further delays with reports that some EU member states will not be ready in time.

EES is a biometric system which will use digital photographs and fingerprints for registering travellers from non-EU countries, including the UK, when they cross the EU’s external border. It will apply to both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travellers.

According to a report in The Guardian, France, Germany and the Netherlands have expressed readiness concerns to EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson over the 10 November launch, warning of a lack of testing of the system in the field.

UK transport operators have also been briefed by government officials to expect a further delay, according to the report.

Implementation of the system has suffered a series of delays in the last couple of years, but Johansson last month finally named a start date for EES on a visit to the eu-LISA agency, which manages major IT infrastructure projects.

Johansson previously said that after “intense dialogues” with member states and other stakeholders, she had decided that EES “will enter into operations on 10 November”.

“When that happens, it will be goodbye to passport stamping, hello to digital checks for all passengers from outside the EU – making travel easier and border checks gradually faster.

“At every single airport, every single harbour and every single road into Europe, we will have digital border controls – all connected, all switched on at the very same time,” she said.

The implementation of EES is the first step towards the digitalisation of the EU border process and must be in force prior to the introduction of the ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors, which is due to go live in the first half of 2025.

EITAS will require visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including the UK, to obtain a new electronic travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries. The fee for ETIAS will be €7 for those aged 18 to 70 and it will be valid for three years.

Similarly, the UK’s own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will be applicable to all visitors (currently not requiring a visa) from April 2025.