New EU border system goes fully operational across 29 countries

The European Commission announced Friday that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) has become fully operational across the Schengen area, marking the end of traditional passport stamping for non-EU short-stay travelers.

"Today marks a significant milestone in European border security as the Entry/Exit System (EES) becomes fully operational across all Schengen countries," the commission said in a statement.

The system, which began a phased rollout in October 2025 across 29 European countries, now digitally records entries, exits, and refusals of entry for third-country nationals visiting the Schengen zone.

According to the commission, passport stamps have been replaced with digital records that include travelers’ facial images, fingerprints, and personal data taken from travel documents.

It said more than 52 million border crossings have already been recorded since the system began operating, alongside more than 27,000 refusals of entry for reasons including insufficient justification of visit, expired documents, or fraudulent papers.

The commission also reported that more than 700 individuals identified as potential security risks were denied entry and logged in the system, allowing border authorities to detect repeat attempts to enter the Schengen area.

The bloc said the system aims to strengthen external border security and improve the detection of identity fraud across Schengen countries.