EU ministers reached an agreement at the EU Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday to initiate the new EU border system, which will replace passport stamping with
digital-only checks. The system is scheduled to commence operation in the second half of 2024.
Following this, in the first half of 2025, numerous non-EU citizens will be required to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) and pay a €7 fee for short stays in the Schengen area, in accordance with the updated timeline.
The Entry/Exit System (EES), set to launch in 2024, will record the information of non-EU citizens arriving and departing from the Schengen free-movement area. This data, including names, travel document types, fingerprints, facial images, as well as the date and place of arrival and departure, will be stored in a database for three years, with automatic renewals at each entry.
The EES will be enforced in EU member states, except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania, and will also apply to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The Netherlands will install EES kiosks at maritime and air border crossings, including locations such as Hoek van Holland, IJmuiden, Schiphol, Rotterdam airport, and the Eurostar stations in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. An information campaign will precede its launch.
Originally scheduled for a May 2023 launch, the EES faced multiple delays due to IT issues. The new timeline does not specify the exact month of operation.
The ETIAS will mandate that non-EU citizens who do not require a visa for short stays in Schengen countries apply for a travel authorization before their departure. The cost of this authorization will be €7, but it will be free for visitors under 18 or over 70, as well as for family members of EU citizens or nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.
EU citizens and non-EU residents in Schengen countries will be exempt from these checks, along with certain family members.
The ETIAS will apply solely to visitors from countries or territorial authorities that do not necessitate a visa to enter the EU, including the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
These systems were established for security purposes, and the EES will automatically verify that non-EU visitors adhere to the Schengen area's 90-day limit within a 180-day period. Additionally, personal data will be cross-referenced with other EU databases, including those containing criminal records.
Simultaneously, these measures aim to facilitate border crossings for frequently vetted non-EU travelers.
The European Parliament also passed a new law on Wednesday to digitize visas for the Schengen area. This initiative seeks to bolster security and replace the current passport stickers.
Non-EU citizens requiring short-stay visas in Schengen countries will be able to apply through a single online platform, which will then forward their requests to the relevant authorities in the countries they intend to visit. Photo by Grzegorz W. Tężycki, Wikimedia commons.