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I just saw this post on Facebook from the British Embassy in Sofia and it sickens me:
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.
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:
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.
For most of the non-EU nationals, the EES:
The EES also makes it easier to identify people:
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.
In this case, the system will store only your facial image (your fingerprints were already registered when you applied 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.