European Union Phases Out Passport Stamps: New Digital Entry/exit System To Streamline Border Control- Here’s What You Should Know

Published on August 9, 2025 |

Travelers heading to nan European Union (EU) will soon look a awesome alteration successful really their introduction and exit are recorded. Beginnning from October 12, 2025, nan EU will instrumentality a caller Entry/Exit System (EES), automating nan border-crossing process for non-EU nationals visiting for short stays. This caller strategy will shape retired nan accepted passport stamps that person agelong been a staple for travelers crossing EU borders.

The European Union intends to streamline nan migration process while enhancing separator information done this precocious integer system. The strategy is group to beryllium afloat operational by April 10, 2026, aft which travelers will nary longer person nan acquainted inked stamps successful their passports.

How nan EES Will Work: Biometric Data for Faster Border Checks

The EES will switch passport stamps pinch biometric information collection. Instead of nan manual stamping process, travelers’ facial images and fingerprints will beryllium scanned astatine nan separator to verify their introduction and exit. This strategy will shop biometric accusation securely for early reference, enhancing nan ratio of separator controls and improving information wrong nan Schengen Area.

EU authorities declare that this alteration will thief streamline nan separator process, reducing waiting times and expanding nan ratio of separator power staff. By automating nan introduction and exit information collection, nan EU seeks to modernize and amended its information mechanisms, each while making nan process faster and much reliable for travelers.

The Shift Toward Digital Border Controls: A Growing Global Trend

The displacement to integer separator power systems is portion of a broader world trend. Australia was nan first state to destruct passport stamps, opening this modulation successful 2012. Following successful its footsteps, countries specified arsenic Argentina and Israel person besides adopted integer introduction and exit systems. Now, nan EU is pursuing suit, aiming to heighten separator information while reducing quality correction and speeding up separator checks.

This move is peculiarly applicable for travelers entering nan Schengen Area, which includes 29 EU personnel states. Non-EU nationals will use from quicker separator crossings arsenic biometric information will beryllium automatically linked to their recreation records, making nan process faster and little prone to mistakes.

EES and ETIAS: New Systems Changing Travel to Europe

While nan EES will destruct passport stamps, it is not nan only caller introduction request for non-EU travelers to Europe. Starting successful precocious 2026, nan European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will beryllium introduced. ETIAS will require travelers to salary a interest of 20 euros and acquisition a pre-screening process earlier entering nan EU. ETIAS is intended to supply an further furniture of information by ensuring that each visitors are vetted earlier they moreover get astatine nan border.

Together, nan EES and ETIAS systems are expected to importantly amended separator information while facilitating easier recreation for morganatic visitors. The EES will attraction connected streamlining nan introduction and exit process, while ETIAS will guarantee that travelers person been pre-approved for entry. These 2 systems will activity successful tandem to heighten nan wide recreation acquisition to Europe, while besides addressing nan EU’s concerns astir information and separator management.

Countries Phasing Out Passport Stamps successful nan EU

The caller Entry/Exit System will beryllium implemented crossed 29 EU countries, each of which will gradually switch nan accepted passport stamp pinch nan integer system. The countries included successful this modulation are:

• France
• Germany
• Spain
• Italy
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Sweden
• Norway
• Finland
• Denmark
• Austria
• Switzerland
• Greece
• Hungary
• Poland
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Czechia
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Malta

Travelers to these countries will beryllium affected by nan caller system, pinch nan EES afloat operational by 2026. While this alteration whitethorn initially look for illustration a displacement successful nan measurement group interact pinch migration procedures, nan purpose is to make nan recreation acquisition much businesslike and secure.

A Future of Seamless Border Crossing

The modulation to integer separator controls marks a important measurement guardant for nan European Union. By leveraging exertion to switch nan manual stamping process, nan EU is not only improving nan ratio of separator checks but besides mounting a precedent for early recreation systems astir nan world. For travelers, this intends faster and much unafraid introduction into Europe, and for nan EU, it represents a proactive measurement to safeguard its borders successful an progressively analyzable world landscape.

As nan EES originates its rollout successful October, travelers tin expect much streamlined separator crossings and nan phasing retired of nan iconic passport stamp. The caller strategy will thief guarantee that nan Schengen Area remains a unafraid yet welcoming destination for world visitors. By embracing integer advancements, nan EU is paving nan measurement for a much efficient, secure, and modern recreation experience.