EES – Entry/Exit System

Entry/Exit Logo

Entry/Exit System (EES) is large-scale information system of the EU[LI1] , which will register electronically the time and place of entry and exit of third-country nationals admitted for a short stay to the territory of the Member States and which calculates the duration of their authorised stay. It will replace the obligation to stamp the passports of third-country nationals which is applicable to all Member States.

The EES will record and process alphanumeric data (personal data, travel document data and entry/exit/refusal records) and biometric data (four fingerprints and a live facial image) primarily for the purposes of improving the management of external borders, preventing irregular immigration and facilitating the management of migration flows.

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) will start operations across the external borders of the 29 European countries on 12 October 2025

The Entry/Exit System will be deployed gradually over a period of 6 months (until 9 April 2026) and will be fully operational from 10 April 2026.

During this period of progressive implementation of EES traveller's 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. 

The Slovak Republic will launch the Entry/Exit System gradually. This means that data recording of travellers required to be registered in the Entry/Exit System including biometrics (fingerprints and facial image) will be gradually introduced at border crossing points in phases.

Initially, upon the launch of the Entry/Exit System it can be expected that border check of third-country nationals subject to the Entry/Exit System will take more time. The reason for this is registration in the Entry/Exit System and capturing of biometric data.

For all travellers it means that at the beginning of the Entry/Exit System entry into operation they can expect longer waiting times at border crossing points and it is recommended to arrive at the border check in a timely manner, especially for departures to non-Schengen countries.

Important change for third-country nationals subject to the Entry/Exit System is that the recording of biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) is mandatory. Refusal to provide biometric data at the border crossings point operating the Entry/Exit System will lead to refusal of entry.

What is the Entry/Exit System and where will it be operational?

The Entry/Exit System registers entry and exit data and refusal of entry data of third-country nationals crossing at the external borders of the Member States using the system. Travel document data and other personal data will be collected, including your entry and exit dates, and will be registered electronically in the system.

If third country nationals overstay the period allowed in the European countries using the EES, the system will identify the person and record this information. 

The Entry/Exit System will be operational in 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, and Switzerland.

In Cyprus and Ireland passports will continue to be stamped manually.

What is the purpose of the Entry/Exit System?

  • 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 Entry/Exit System:

  • 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).

The Entry/Exit System 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 European countries using the Entry/Exit System.

As a result, the Entry/Exit System supports the identification of terrorists, criminals, suspects and victims of crimes.

Who does the Entry/Exit System apply to?

The Entry/Exit System registration applies to third country nationals travelling for a short stay to a European country using the Entry/Exit System either possessing a short-stay visa or do not need a visa to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.

To whom does the Entry/Exit System not apply?

There are exemptions from Entry/Exit System registration:

  • Nationals of the European countries using the Entry/Exit System, 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.);
  • 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.

Important:

If you have a travel document from a country whose citizens are not subject to Entry/Exit System registration, as well as a travel document from a third country, you should use the document of the country exempt from Entry/Exit System registration when entering or leaving Schengen Area. This way you will avoid mandatory registration as a third-country national in the Entry/Exit System and using your EU travel document facilitates your entry and exit and ensures your right to free movement.

Holders of residence permits, residence cards or long-stay visas must present the relevant documents during border control. Otherwise, registration in the Entry/Exit System is required.

Which biometric data will the Entry/Exit System store?

Biometrics are a reliable method of:

  • accurately identifying people – significantly reducing cases of mistaken identity, discrimination or racial profiling;
  • identifying undocumented travellers already present in the territory of the Schengen Area (irregular migrants);
  • matching entry and exit data for ‘bona fide’ travellers. 

Biometrics can increase security in European countries using the Entry/Exit System by:

  • preventing children from going missing or becoming victims of trafficking;
  • reducing the risk of people being wrongfully apprehended and arrested;
  • helping fight serious crime and terrorism.

Although collecting biometrics can have an impact on travellers’ privacy, the technology used in the Entry/Exit System ensures that people’s fundamental rights are protected.

Entry/Exit System (EES) & the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries and their joining family members

UK nationals and their family members who are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement will be exempt from registration in the Entry/Exit System (EES) only if they hold a specific residence document:

  1. a valid Withdrawal Agreement residence document issued by the Member State that is their Withdrawal Agreement host State;
  2. a valid Withdrawal Agreement frontier worker document issued by the Member State that is their Withdrawal Agreement State of work;
  3. a valid special temporary Withdrawal Agreement residence document issued by the Member State that is their Withdrawal Agreement host State; or
  4. a certain valid residence permit.

Please note that specific residence documents falling under c) and d) may change over time so Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries are advised to check before travel.

Exemptions under the Entry/Exit System do not apply to Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries and their family members whose host State is Ireland or Cyprus, given that these two Member States do not participate in the Entry/Exit System.

Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who do not hold any of the above documents will be registered in the Entry/Exit System. It means that their entries and exits to and from the territory of European countries using the Entry/Exit System will be electronically registered in the Entry/Exit System. Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries registered in the Entry/Exit System can later ask to have their data deleted or amended in the system if they show that they are documented Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries in their host EU Member State.

All Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries are entitled to apply for and be issued with a Withdrawal Agreement document that will exempt them from registration in the Entry/Exit System and facilitate their experience at the EU border.

More information

Residence documents issued to UK nationals and their family members under the EU Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) before 31 December 2020 will not exempt from registration in the Entry/Exit System, regardless of whether these documents can still be exceptionally used in the host State to establish the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary status there.

There are special rules for holders of a certificate of application issued under the Withdrawal Agreement and for family members of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who join the latter in the Withdrawal Agreement host State. They will be registered in the Entry/Exit System, but the system will not track whether they have left the EU in time, given that they have a right to reside under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Which residence documents will exempt from the registration in the Entry/Exit System?

Withdrawal Agreement residence document

Residence documents are issued in the EU’s uniform card format and contain a reference to Article 50 Treaty on European Union (TEU) and to Article 18 of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Withdrawal agreement frontier worker document

Documents are also issued in the EU’s uniform card format. Similarly, they contain the reference ‘Art. 50 TEU - Frontier worker’.

Temporary Withdrawal Agreement document

If they hold one of the following Greek temporary documents: Special certificate of legal residence stating that the holder has the right of Part Two of the Withdrawal Agreement (Ειδική Βεβαίωση Νόμιμης Διαμονής της υπ’αριθ. 4000/1/113-α’ Κ.Υ.Α. (ΥΠΟΔΕΙΓΜΑ ΚΑ-158)), or Certificate of submission of the supporting documents (Βεβαίωση κατάθεσης δικαιολογητικών).

National residence permits

In addition to Withdrawal Agreement residence documents issued in a uniform format and temporary residence documents, Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries will be exempt from registration in the Entry/Exit System if they hold a residence permit that has been notified by the issuing Member State in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code and is also duly listed in Annex 22 of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards. Examples of such documents are the German “Fiktionsbescheinigung” or the French “Document de circulation pour étranger mineur” (DCEM).

Annex 22 of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards can be consulted here.  Please note that Annex 22 is regularly updated so Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries should check regularly whether their national residence permit is included in Annex 22.

Official website of the European Union - EES - FAQs about EES .


RULES FOR UK NATIONALS WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SCHENGEN AREA - applicable before the progressive deployment of the Entry/Exit System on 12 October 2025

Schengen rules

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement whose host State is an EU Member State other than Cyprus or Ireland (for the purposes of this guidance, those 25 Member States are called Schengen Member States and – together with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – they form the Schengen area) are in principle not subject to the stamping obligation when entering or leaving the Schengen area.

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement whose host State is Cyprus or Ireland are subject to the stamping obligation when entering or leaving the Schengen area.

EU law does not prevent border guards from stamping upon entry to and exit from the Schengen area of travel documents of United Kingdom nationals who are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement who are in possession of a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen Member State. The same applies to their family members in the same situation.

The Commission considers that there is little practical use in stamping passports of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries. Stamping a passport serves to establish whether a non–EU national respected the authorised length of a short stay within the Schengen area, but beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement in a Schengen Member State are not required to leave the Schengen area as they legally reside in one of the Schengen Member State. The usual limitation of a stay of 90 days in a 180 days’ period in the Schengen area does not apply to them, irrespective of whether their passport has been stamped or not. However, they have no right to stay in a Schengen Member State other than that of their residence for more than 90 days in a 180 days’ period.

The Commission recommends – notably as regards beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement – that Member State border guards refrain from stamping. In any case, should stamping nevertheless take place, such stamp cannot affect the length of the authorised long-term stay.

Residence documents issued under the Withdrawal Agreement

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can use their residence documents issued under the Withdrawal Agreement as well as other means of evidence (see next section) at the border to prove their residence status and connected rights, such as not being subject to the maximum duration of stay of up to 90 days in a 180 days’ period in their host State.

The Commission recommends that all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement obtain the appropriate residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement in their Member State of residence and to proactively present it to border guards when crossing a Schengen external border.

Other documents that can be used when entering or leaving the Schengen area

Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who reside in host Member States with declaratory schemes[1] can use residence documents issued under the EU Free Movement Directive before the end of the transition period as proof of their Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary status, provided that there is no indication that they no longer reside in the host Member State.

They can use other documents that credibly prove that their holders exercised the right to move and reside freely in the host Member State before the end of the transition period and continue to reside there. Documents indicating the address of the person can show continued residence after the end of the transition period. Border guards may ask questions about the domicile in order to establish the residence status and connected rights of the traveller.

Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who reside in host Member States with constitutive schemes[2] can use their certificate of application issued under Article 18(1)(b) of the Withdrawal Agreement to prove their residence status and connected rights as long as they have not obtained a final decision on their application.

For more about the Withdrawal Agreement see Commission Notice — Guidance Note relating to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community Part Two – Citizens’ Rights (C/2020/2939, OJ C173, 30 May 2020, p. 1) that this document supplements, without amending it.

Rules on entry and exit are covered in section 2.2 of the Guidance Note.

 

RULES FOR UK NATIONALS WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SCHENGEN AREA - applicable during the progressive deployment of the Entry/Exit System from 12 October 2025 to 9 April 2026

To keep proper records of border crossings, border guards have been manually stamping passports of non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay (by means of affixing a stamp in the passport).

The Entry/Exit System (EES) modernises the management of the EU’s external border by registering electronic entry/exit records (by means of creating an individual file in the EES) that provide reliable data on entries and exits.

The EES will be progressively deployed on 12 October 2025. During the progressive start of the operations, manual stamping and electronic entry/exit records coexists and stamps are systematically affixed in passports of those non-EU citizens who are not exempt from registration in the EES when entering or leaving the Schengen area (for the purposes of this guidance, 25 Member States other than Cyprus or Ireland are called Schengen Member States and – together with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – form the Schengen area). After the end of the progressive period, passport stamping will be fully replaced by the EES electronic records.

The EES affects neither the rights UK nationals enjoy under the Withdrawal Agreement, nor the rights they enjoy under the EU rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Border Code).

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement enjoy their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement in their host State irrespective of whether they have exceeded their authorised legal stay in a Schengen Member State other than the host State in which they can reside under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Treatment of beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement at the EU borders depends on whether they hold a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement or not (residence documents some EU Member States may still accept as proof of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary status are not relevant for the EES purposes if they are not issued under the Withdrawal Agreement).

Holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement

Registration in the EES

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement are exempt from registration in the EES, and no electronic record of their crossing of the Schengen external border is created.

You can find more details about the EES here. 

Crossing the EU’s external border

They should be able to cross the Schengen external border as Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries. This is because their residence document provides evidence that they have a right of residence in a host Schengen Member State. Stamps should not be systematically affixed in their passports.

Not holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement

Registration in the EES

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement not holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement will be registered in the EES and an electronic record of their crossing of the Schengen external border will be created, unless they hold a specific national residence permit (for more details on such specific permits, see the last section of guidance document on Entry/Exit System and the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries).

The reason for this is that the EES is a document-based system that recognises only specific documents as authoritative proof of a person’s right to reside in an EU Schengen Member State. As a result, only holders of these specific documents are exempt from registration in the EES.

The EES data will be deleted once the proper residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement is granted. Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can also request to have their electronic record modified in the host EU Member State by providing evidence of their status as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement.

You can find more details about the EES here.

Crossing the EU’s external border

They can cross the external border, in their capacity as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement, only if they can provide, by any means, credible evidence that they have a right of residence in a host Schengen Member State under the Withdrawal Agreement.

As the actual permission to cross the border is granted after a case-by-case assessment by border guards, there can be no guarantee that such beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement will be successful in convincing border guards that they have a right of residence in a Schengen Member State under the Withdrawal Agreement.

In this context, it can be reasonably expected that the evidence to be provided by Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who do not hold the correct documents will be much easier to accept for border guards of the host State in which UK nationals reside under the Withdrawal Agreement than for border guards in other Schengen States. For that reason, and in order to avoid administrative problems, UK nationals in the above-described situation are encouraged to travel directly to the host State in which they enjoy a right to reside.

Stamps should be systematically affixed in passports of beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement not holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement.

This changes the situation before the progressive start of the EES when manual stamping of the passports of beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement was discouraged and did not usually happen in practice (except for beneficiaries whose host State was Cyprus or Ireland and who were entering or leaving the Schengen area).

Conclusions

Against the above background, it is best for all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement to obtain the appropriate residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement in their host State and to proactively present it to border guards when crossing a Schengen external border.

The Commission strongly recommends to all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement who do not yet have a residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement to obtain one as soon as possible.

All Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries are entitled to apply for and be issued with a Withdrawal Agreement document that will facilitate their experience at the EU borders.

For more information about the application, please contact the national authorities of your host EU Member State.

For more information about the Withdrawal Agreement see Commission Notice — Guidance Note relating to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community Part Two – Citizens’ Rights (C/2020/2939, OJ C173, 30 May 2020, p. 1) that this document supplements, without amending it.

Rules on entry and exit are covered in section 2.2 of the Guidance Note.

 

RULES FOR UK NATIONALS WHEN ENTERING OR LEAVING THE SCHENGEN AREA - applicable during the standard deployment of the Entry/Exit System on 10 April 2026

To keep proper records of border crossings, border guards used to manually stamp passports of non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay (by means of affixing a stamp in the passport).

The Entry/Exit System (EES) modernised the management of the EU’s external border by replacing manual stamping with electronic entry/exit records (by means of creating an individual file in the EES) that provide reliable data on entries and exits.

Manual stamps should no longer be affixed in passports of beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement when entering or leaving the Schengen area (for the purposes of this guidance, 25 Member States other than Cyprus or Ireland are called Schengen Member States and – together with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – form the Schengen area).

The EES affects neither the rights UK nationals enjoy under the Withdrawal Agreement, nor the rights they enjoy under the EU rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Border Code).

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement enjoy their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement in their host State irrespective of whether they have exceeded their authorised legal stay in a Schengen Member State other than the host State in which they can reside under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Treatment of beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement at the EU borders depends on whether they hold a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement or not (residence documents some EU Member States may still accept as proof of Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary status are not relevant for the EES purposes if they are not issued under the Withdrawal Agreement).

Holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement

Registration in the EES

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement are exempt from registration in the EES, and no electronic record of their crossing of the Schengen external border is created.

You can find more details about the EES here.

Crossing the EU’s external border

They should be able to cross the Schengen external border. This is because their residence document provides evidence that they have a right of residence in a host Schengen Member State. Stamps should not be affixed in their passports (see footnote 1 for clarification).

Not holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement

Registration in the EES

Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement not holding a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement will be registered in the EES and an electronic record of their crossing of the Schengen external border will be created, unless they hold a specific national residence permit (for more details on such specific permits, see the last section of guidance document on Entry/Exit System and the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries).

The reason for this is that the EES is a document-based system that recognises only specific documents as authoritative proof of a person’s right to reside in an EU Schengen Member State. As a result, only holders of these specific documents are exempt from registration in the EES.

As electronic records of border crossings are created at the external border when beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement do not present a residence document issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, the EES will flag them as overstayers if they stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The EES data will be deleted once the proper residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement is granted. Beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can also request to have their electronic record modified in the host EU Member State by providing evidence of their status as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement.

You can find more details about the EES here.

Crossing the EU’s external border

They can cross the external border, in their capacity as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement,  only if they can provide, by any means, credible evidence that they have a right of residence in a host Schengen Member State under the Withdrawal Agreement.

As the actual permission to cross the border is granted after a case-by-case assessment by border guards, there can be no guarantee that such beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement will be successful in convincing border guards that they have a right of residence in a Schengen Member State under the Withdrawal Agreement.

In this context, it can be reasonably expected that the evidence to be provided by Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries who do not hold the correct documents will be much easier to accept for border guards of the host State in which UK nationals reside under the Withdrawal Agreement than for border guards in other Schengen States. For that reason, and in order to avoid administrative problems, UK nationals in the above-described situation are encouraged to travel directly to the host State in which they enjoy a right to reside.

Stamps should not be affixed in their passports (see footnote 1 for clarification).

Conclusions

Against the above background, it is best for all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement to obtain the appropriate residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement in their host State and to proactively present it to border guards when crossing a Schengen external border.

The Commission strongly recommends to all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement who do not yet have a residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement to obtain one as soon as possible.

All Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries are entitled to apply for and be issued with a Withdrawal Agreement document that will facilitate their experience at the EU borders.

For more information about the application, please contact the national authorities of your host EU Member State.

For more about the Withdrawal Agreement see Commission Notice — Guidance Note relating to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community Part Two – Citizens’ Rights (C/2020/2939, OJ C173, 30 May 2020, p. 1) that this document supplements, without amending it.

Rules on entry and exit are covered in section 2.2 of the Guidance Note.

Data protection

Which data are collected by the Entry/Exit System?

You need to provide your personal data each time you reach the external borders of the European countries using the Entry/Exit System (EES). 

The 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. 

The EES collects, records and stores: 

  • data listed in your travel document(s) (e.g. full name, date of birth, etc.),
  • date and place of each entry and exit, 
  • facial image and fingerprints (called ‘biometric data’),
  • whether you were refused entry.

Conditions for collecting and storing personal data in the EES are set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 establishing the Entry/Exit System.

If you hold a short-stay visa to enter the Schengen area, your fingerprints will already be stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) and will not be stored again in the EES.

Depending on your particular situation, the system also collects your personal information from the Visa Information System (which contains additional personal information).

All this is done in full compliance with data protection rules and rights.

Why is your data collected in the EES?

Your data is collected and processed in the EES to:

  • reinforce the efficiency of external border management, 
  • prevent irregular immigration,
  • facilitate the management of migration flows, 
  • identify travellers who have no right to enter or who have exceeded their permitted stay, 
  • identify travellers who are using fake identities or passports, 
  • help prevent, detect and investigate terrorist offences and other serious crimes.

This is required in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, specifically Articles 14, 16 to 19 and 23 of Chapter II and Chapter III.

How will you be informed about the processing of your personal data?

You will be provided with written information about the EES and your related rights when you cross the external borders of the European countries implementing the EES for a short stay (maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period).

What happens if you refuse to have your fingerprints scanned or a photo of your face taken?

The recording of biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) is mandatory. Refusal to provide biometric data at the border crossings point operating the Entry/Exit System will lead to refusal of entry.

Who can access your personal data?

  • Border, visa and immigration authorities in the European countries using the EES for the purpose of verifying your identity and understanding whether you should be allowed to enter or stay on the territory.
  • Law enforcement authorities of the countries using the EES and Europol for law enforcement purposes. 
  • Under strict conditions, your data may be transferred to another country (inside or outside the EU) or international organisation (listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 - a UN organisation, the International Organisation for Migration, or the International Committee of the Red Cross) for return (Article 41(1) and (2), and Article 42) and/or law enforcement purposes (Article 41(6)).
  • Transport carriers will only be able to verify whether short-stay visa holders have already used the number of entries authorised by their visa and will not be able to access any further personal data.

How long does the EES keep your personal data?

Your data will only be kept in the system for the purposes for which it was collected and for the specific durations outlined.

  • Records of entries, exits and refusals of entry - 3 years  Starting on the date on which they were created
  • Individual files containing personal data - 3 years and 1 day Starting on the date of your last exit or of your refusal of entry (if you were not permitted to enter)
  • If no exit has been recorded - 5 years Starting on the expiry date of your authorised stay.
  • Records of entries and exits for non-EU nationals who:
    • are family members of EU citizens or non-EU citizens who can travel throughout Europe like an EU citizen;
    • do not hold a residence document; and
    • are accompanying an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, who is travelling or residing in a Member State other than the one of their nationality.

1 year Starting on the date of creation of the exit record.

  • If no exit has been recorded and you:
    • are a family member of an EU or a non-EU citizen who can travel throughout Europe like an EU citizen;
    • do not hold a residence document; and 
    • are accompanying an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, who is travelling or residing in a Member State other than the one of their nationality.

Your data will not be kept. There is no calculation of the length of your authorised stay.

After each time period expires, your data is automatically erased.

How to check the duration of your authorised stay in the European countries using the EES and what happens if you overstay?

You can use the "EES online tool (webservice for travellers)"  as a helping tool to check the duration of your authorised stay. The result of this calculator does not confer a right to stay for the calculated period. 

If you stay longer than permitted, you will be considered an ‘overstayer’. If you are an ‘overstayer’, consequences can be enforced depending on national legislation in place in the respective European country using the EES (e.g. you may be removed from the territory; you may be subject to administrative fines or detention; you may be prevented from re-entering the EU in the future.)

If, as an overstayer, you provide credible evidence to the competent authorities, such as border authorities or immigration authorities, that you exceeded the authorised duration of stay due to unforeseeable or mitigating circumstances (e.g. hospitalisation due to a serious injury), your data can be amended in the system.

The calculation of the duration of the authorised stay do not apply to non-EU nationals who are family members of EU, EEA or Swiss nationals who travel to a state other than the state of their nationality, or already reside there, and are accompanying or joining the EU, EEA or Swiss national.

What rights do you have as regards to your personal data?

You have the right to:

  • Request from the controller access to data relating to you;
  • Request that inaccurate or incomplete data is corrected;
  • Request that unlawfully processed personal data that concern you is erased and/or request that specific data are not processed.

To exercise any of these rights, you must contact a data controller (e.g. the entity responsible for processing your data) or data protection officer in any of the European countries using the EES, preferably the ones to which you travelled.

You can find the relevant contact details for the European countries using the EES.

In Slovakia the data subject can exercise his/her rights by submitting a request:

  • in person, in writing or electronically signed with a guaranteed electronic signature or via unsecured e-mail communication

Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky Prezídium Policajného zboru Úrad hraničnej a cudzineckej polície

Pribinova 2, 812 72 Bratislava, Slovenská republika

If you attach files to your message (such as copy of your ID, passport...), we kindly ask you sending it always password protected. Password should be sent in a different email. Doing so helps to protect your privacy.

How can you make a complaint about your data?

Lodging a complaint means that you submit a formal request for a new assessment of your data protection rights, for instance, if your query to the data controller to access, delete or amend your data is refused.

You can lodge a complaint with:

  • the supervisory authority of the European country using the EES in charge of processing your data (e.g. if you believe that the country has recorded your data incorrectly)

Úrad na ochranu osobných údajov Slovenskej republiky
Námestie 1. mája 18
811 06 Bratislava

https://dataprotection.gov.sk/uoou/sk

Information Letter/Data Provision

Infographic