Americans Will Have To Get Fingerprinted Traveling To Europe Starting October 12

It’s lastly taking place, you guys.

After years of delays and even rumors it was by no means going to launch anyway, Europe’s long-anticipated Entry-Exit System (or EES) will debut on October 12. If you are unfamiliar with the time period, this solely means one factor:

As a U.S. passport holder, you’ll now be topic to getting photographed and offering your fingerprints when touring to Europe, or to be extra exact, all European international locations which can be within the Schengen Area.

We know that is hardly thrilling information, and we get it, all of the terminology sounds complicated, however we’re right here to provide the run-down:

What Is This New Entry-Exit System?

First of all, what’s Europe’s new EES?

The Entry-Exit System is a brand new border crossing system that may ultimately exchange guide passport stamping for vacationers touchdown within the Old Continent.

As a vacationer, you may solely keep within the Schengen Area, Europe’s border-free, 29-country-strong customs union for 90 days out of each 180-day interval, however proper now, border officers are solely in a position to confirm whether or not individuals are complying by manually checking stamps.

With the brand new system, which is ready to be fully digitized and related to a central database, catching overstayers shall be means simpler—officers throughout all 29 international locations will have the ability to promptly pull up a person’s private particulars and journey historical past if required.

If you are touring with youngsters underneath 12, they won’t have to provide their fingerprints.

Prepare For Delays At The Border

It’s not like most American vacationers are overstaying their welcome, however because the EES is launched from October 12 throughout various worldwide airports, they may stay topic to a facial biometric scan and fingerprinting.

This implies that, other than ready in line at passport management, try to be ready for longer delays as newcomers are screened. If you could have connecting flights, enable your self enough time to bear the brand new process.

The excellent news is, quickly sufficient, passport stamps shall be a factor of the previous when touring to a majority of European international locations, as all of your entries and exits of the Schengen Zone shall be recorded digitally. Yay, no extra operating low on clean pages in your passport!

It’s necessary to notice, nevertheless, that it may very well be a bumpy rollout for the primary six months:

Here’s Why It May Be Confusing At First

Travelers would possibly expertise a kind of ‘border roulette’: this implies some entry factors may have the EES system in place, and would require biometrics to be taken, and others will stay analogue.

That is the European Union’s means of forcing by means of change, as not all international locations within the Schengen Area are ready to change to digital, automated border checks, and can want extra time. With the phased rollout, however, there shall be higher stress for nations to adapt shortly.

Should no additional delays happen, the EES shall be extensively out there throughout Schengen inside 180 days after its October 12 launch.

Please be aware that through the transition interval, passports will proceed to be stamped till the rollout is full. Therefore, guarantee you could have enough clean pages out there within the meantime.

ETIA’s Fee Is Increasing, Too

On prime of that, the EU has confirmed its new Electronic Travel Authorization system, baptized ETIAS, will make its debut between October and December 2026.

Still a technique to go, however it’s coming prior to you would possibly suppose, and we now have yet one more enormous blow to deal you: the digital entry allow has not even been launched but, however the charge has already been hiked from round $8 to $23.50.

Eeks.

In brief, from fall 2026, you will be unable to board Europe-bound flights as an American citizen until you’ve got utilized, and paid for authorization to journey prematurely.

We know, it is a very complicated world to navigate as a traveler.

Tightened border guidelines, new visa restrictions, and obligatory permits… would not it’s nice if you happen to had an internet device that would present a abstract of all the required info earlier than your journey, with out the same old Government web site muddle? Say no extra.

Use our free TOP Entry Requirement Checker to remain on the loop relating to all the most recent modifications, and keep away from any disagreeable surprises upon arrival on the airport.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ international locations underneath his belt (and at the moment weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that may have you ever packing your luggage.