The EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) will launch on 10NOV.
The EES is a biometric system that will use digital photographs and fingerprints to register travellers from non-EU countries when they enter the European Union.
The system will apply to both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travellers.
Business Travel News reports the implementation of the system has experienced several delays in the last couple of years. However, Home Affairs Commissioner Johansson has finally announced a start date for the EES during a visit to the eu-LISA agency, which oversees major IT infrastructure projects.
The new rule requires visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including Canada, to get electronic travel authorization before entering 30 European countries.
BTN reported Johansson said that the next stage in the digitalization of the EU border process – the introduction of the ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors – would follow “quickly” and is due to go live in the first half of 2025.
As previously reported by Open Jaw, that system will require visitors from outside the EU to apply for and pay €7 (CAD $10.06) per person for a visa waiver before entering a country in the Schengen zone, which includes France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, among others.
The visa allows non-EU citizens to stay in the EU and Schengen zone for up to 90 days. It’s valid for three years after getting it, so there's no need to reapply during that time. Use the Schengen Visa calculator from VisaGuide to avoid any violations.
The EES could lead to travel delays at border checkpoints, according to concerns expressed by various countries in a Euro News report.
French authorities are working with the UK government to minimize the impact of EES border checks at the Port of Dover, Eurostar, and Eurotunnel.
Government agencies and tourism industry representatives have also expressed concerns about long queues for ferry traffic from Dover to Calais due to the EES.
EES will collect border security and migration control data, including pictures for facial recognition and fingerprints, applicant's personal information, passport details, visa information, and border crossing history.
According to ETIAS Canada, the data will be securely stored and encrypted, and will only be used by authorized personnel for security and migration purposes. Member countries will access the information to investigate and prevent terrorist threats and other criminal activity.
