From the 12th October 2025, non-EU nationals who enter the Schengen Zone, consisting of 29 countries, will have to register as part of a new digital border management system. According to the EU, the new Entry/Exit System (EES) will make travelling in the Schengen Zone more efficient, as it will replace passport stamps with a modern digital system recording the entry and exit of travellers. The new system will also prevent irregular migration and use biometric data to stop those with fake identities or who are overstaying in the Schengen Zone.
The EES will also give border and law enforcement agencies more access to traveller information, which they claim will help find security risks in the fight against terrorism and other crime.
Every country in the Schengen Zone will utilise the new EES system.
EU Member States in the Schengen Area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Romania. Non-EU Countries in the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
