Americans And Canadians To Be Fingerprinted And Photographed In These European Countries First From Mid-October

American and Canadian travelers visiting Europe will very soon be subjected to a few more steps at passport control under a new system called the EU Entry/Exit System—or EES for short. What is EES? Essentially, it’s a new, all-digital method of passport control and entry into European Union (EU) countries, specifically those in the Schengen zone.

Instead of getting their passport stamped, non-EU travelers (which includes Americans and Canadians) will provide their biometric data to enter the continent, which means handing over fingerprints and facial scans from mid-October. That information will be stored for three years. Any time Americans and Canadians visit Europe thereafter, they'll only need to scan their passport and undergo facial scanning.

Travelers also don't have to register for the EES; all that's needed is a valid passport. However, eventually, likely in 2026, all non-EU residents, including Americans and Canadians, will have to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) before traveling to Europe, a type of visa waiver for visa-exempt nations, for which there is a fee to pay (one that's already tripled in cost before even launching). ETIAS is similar to the United States' ESTA, a type of pre-travel authorization and approval to enter the USA—which also doubled in price on September 30.

The EES system officially launches on October 12, 2025, although it won't be a continent-wide implementation from the beginning. EES will roll out in phases, but it's expected to be fully operational at every border point in the Schengen area by April 2026. So, which European nations will set the EES going first? As it turns out, only two countries so far will introduce EES from October 12 at every border access point.

Which European Countries Will Launch EES First?

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport

The first country in Europe's Schengen zone to launch the EES is Estonia, according to the Independent, which surveyed Schengen nations involved in the rollout. Estonia will implement the system from day one on October 12 at all of its points of entry.

"All our border control points will start using EES from day one," a spokesperson for Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board said.

As a result, any American and Canadian travelers entering Estonia via the international airport in the country's capital, Tallinn, plus its seaports and road and rail crossings from Russia, will undergo biometrics.

Meanwhile, EES in Luxembourg will also be fully operational from October 12, mainly because the small size of the country means it's much easier to roll out than in other larger nations (it only has one frontier, Findel airport). "We're ready for it, but unfortunately, many other countries aren’t yet," The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's home affairs minister, Leon Gloden, told local media.

Luxembourg Airport

Aside from Estonia and Luxembourg, all other countries in the Schengen area will introduce the EES in waves, with major international airports likely to be prioritized first. For instance, Germany's Düsseldorf airport will be the only frontier post operating the new EES system on 12 October in the country, the Independent reported. Still, although the system will be phased, EU member states have 180 days to complete full checks on non-EU travelers according to the European Commission's direction. So, which countries will apply the EES from October?

Which European Countries Will Launch EES In October?

29 countries in the European Schengen zone will start their introduction of EES from October. The full list of EES countries in alphabetical order is the following:

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Italy

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Any non-EU citizen deemed a "third-country national," including those who don't normally require a visa to enter the EU, a category into which Americans and Canadians fall, must be EES-registered for entry to the Schengen area.
Furthermore, travelers from visa-exempt countries (including Americans and Canadians) will also have to obtain the earlier-mentioned ETIAS visa waiver, which requires an advanced application and a fee. However, ETIAS won't be put in place until 2026, meaning Canadian and American travelers don't need to apply for this in advance until next year. According to the ETIAS website, approval wait times are expected to be anything from minutes to days if extra checks are needed.

Estimated ETIAS Approval Wait Times

Wait Time

Explanation

Minutes

Most standard applications Up to 96 hours

Applications requiring automated database screening Up to 14 days

Applications requiring additional documentation or information Up to 30 days

Applications that need an interview

While the ETIAS system won't be in effect right away from October 12, the EES system will be officially starting its rollout, albeit in phases, across the European Union's Schengen area. So, all Americans and Canadians traveling to Europe from this date should be prepared to give biometrics, including fingerprints and facial scans, at many European border points.

Lastly, during the rollout period, third-country nationals will also be required to undergo analogue passport checks and normal wet stamping when passing through European border frontiers with EES in place, which means facing double red tape until the system is fully ready across all access points.

https://www.thetravel.com/author/lauren-feather/