Travellers from non-EU countries, including India, will now have to follow new digital border procedures under the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which came into effect on Sunday, Reuters reported. The automated system replaces manual passport stamping with digital records, requiring visitors to register their fingerprints, facial scans, and passport details when entering the Schengen Zone. The rollout will take place gradually over six months. The new rules apply to all Schengen countries including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein but not to Ireland or Cyprus. EU officials said the system is designed to detect overstayers, prevent identity fraud and improve border security as migration pressures rise across Europe. “The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, according to Reuters. The system is expected to be fully operational by April 2026, when traditional passport stamps will be completely phased out. At the Bajakovo crossing between Serbia and Croatia, travellers waited about 20 minutes in their cars before completing fingerprint and face scans inside border booths. “There are five lanes open, so it took us about 20 minutes in line and about two minutes in the booth for each of the five of us,” said Dalibor Vranic, a traveller from Serbia. In the United Kingdom, the checks for freight and coach traffic began on Sunday at Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal, with passenger checks to follow later this year. “The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders, and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration,” said Alex Norris, Britain’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum, as quoted by Reuters.
