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I just saw this post on Facebook from the British Embassy in Sofia and it sickens me:
Flying to the EU?
From 12 October 2025, the EU is introducing a new border system.
Your fingerprints and photo may be taken when you land. Be prepared for longer waiting times.
For more information on the new EU Entry/Exit System, check:The EES does not apply to:
- Nationals of the European countries using the EES, as well as Cyprus and Ireland
- Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card and are immediately related to an EU national
- Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card or a residence permit and are immediately related to a non-EU national who can travel throughout Europe like an EU citizen
- Non-EU nationals travelling to Europe as part of an intra-corporate transfer or for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au-pairing
- Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas
- Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and holders of a passport issued by the Vatican City State or the Holy See
- People exempt from border checks or who have been granted certain privileges with respect to border checks (such as heads of state, accredited diplomats, cross-border workers, etc.). Diplomats travelling on short stay may be exempt from EES registration under certain conditions.
The exception from registration in the EES apply to members of the armed forces travelling on NATO or Partnership for Peace business, who hold an identification and individual or collective movement order provided for by the Agreement between the parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces and may apply to civilian component or dependents referred to in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement.
- People not required to cross external borders solely at border crossing points and during fixed opening hours
- People holding a valid local border traffic permit
- Crew members of passenger and goods trains on international connecting journeys
- People holding a valid Facilitated Rail Transit Document or valid Facilitated Transit Document, provided they travel by train and do not disembark anywhere within the territory of an EU Member State
Legal base: Article 2(3) of Regulation(EU) 2017/2226
What does progressive start of the EES mean?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be deployed gradually across the external borders of the 29 European countries over a period of 6 months. These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints. This means that travellers’ biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and their personal information may not be registered in the system. Passports will continue to be stamped as usual.This progressive implementation will last until 9 April 2026. From 10 April 2026, the EES will be fully operational at all external border crossing points of the European countries using the system.
Legal base: Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2025/1534
The EES applies to you if you are a non-EU national travelling for a short stay to a European country using the EES and you either:
- possess a short-stay visa; or
- do not need a visa to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.
Your travel document data and other personal data will be collected, including your entry and exit dates, and will be registered electronically in the system. This procedure will facilitate your border crossing.
If you overstay the period allowed in the European countries using the EES, the system will identify you and record this information.
In the event that the authorities refuse you entry, the system will also record this information.
The period of 90 days in any 180 days is calculated as a single period for all the European countries using the EES.
- Modernises border management across the European countries using the system; by electronically registering non-EU nationals’ entries and exits, or entry refusals;
- Makes border checks more efficient, gradually improving the experience for travellers;
- Effectively combats identity fraud by collecting biometric data;
- Improves security within the EU;
- Helps combat terrorism and serious organised crime by acting as an identity verification tool.
For most of the non-EU nationals, the EES:
- Provides precise information on the maximum duration of their authorised stays in the territory of all European countries using the EES;
- Replaces the need for passport stamping (unless exceptions apply);
- Gradually reduces waiting times in passport control queues by introducing automated border controls (where available and under the supervision of passport control officers).
The EES also makes it easier to identify people:
- Who have stayed for longer than permitted (overstayers);
- Who are using fake identities or passports;
- Who have no right to enter the European countries using the EES.
As a result, the EES supports the identification of terrorists, criminals, suspects and victims of crimes.
The EES will store different biometric identifiers depending on whether or not you need a short-stay visa.
- Do you need a short-stay visa to travel to the European countries using the EES?
In this case, the system will store only your facial image (your fingerprints were already registered when you applied for a visa).
- No need for a visa?
In this case, the system will store 4 of your fingerprints and your facial image.
Currently, the fingerprints of children below 12 years old are not scanned, even if they are subject to the EES.
No. Your entry will not be, in principle, refused based on this reason, as valid biometric and non-biometric passports are accepted for travelling in the European countries using the EES.
Most travel documents, including non-biometric passports are accepted by the Member States.
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