Under the EES, travelers from visa-exempt countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Japan, will undergo biometric registration upon their first entry. This process will involve passport scanning, facial recognition, and the capture of four fingerprints. Children under 12 will be exempt from fingerprinting.
After this initial data collection, subsequent entries will only require one biometric identifier, and travelers will need to re-register every three years. These digital records will replace manual passport stamping and automatically calculate adherence to the 90-days-in-any-180-day Schengen rule, significantly streamlining enforcement.
Phased Rollout and Potential Delays
The EES rollout will be staggered to manage border flows. Within 30 days of launch, 10% of crossings will adopt the system, increasing to 35% by day 90, and reaching complete coverage after 170 days.
To help alleviate potential bottlenecks, the EU is piloting a “Travel to Europe” app, allowing voluntary pre-registration at select airports like Arlanda, Frankfurt, Paris CDG, and Madrid-Barajas. Despite these measures, major hubs and transit points, including Dover, Eurostar, and Le Shuttle, should anticipate longer processing times during the initial months.
ETIAS Launch and Fee Increase
In conjunction with EES, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is set to go live in the final quarter of 2026, approximately six months after EES is fully operational. While ETIAS was initially planned with a 7 euros fee, the European Commission recently announced it will triple this amount to 20 euros per applicant aged 18–70. This increase is attributed to inflation, expanded technological infrastructure, and alignment with similar schemes like the US ESTA and UK ETA.
Exemptions and Validity
Applicants under 18, over 70, family members of EU citizens, holders of EU residence permits, diplomats, refugees, and stateless persons will be exempt from the ETIAS fee. Once issued, ETIAS authorizations will be valid for up to three years or until passport expiration, allowing multiple short-term Schengen entries within the standard 90/180-day framework. The fee adjustment will undergo a two-month scrutiny period in the European Parliament and Council before entering force alongside ETIAS.
Impact on Travel and Hospitality
The new regulations necessitate operational adjustments for the travel and hospitality industry. Businesses should expect longer guest processing times at arrival, plan for bolstered staffing and training for biometric oversight, and coordinate closely with transport carriers responsible for enforcing ETIAS checks before boarding.
Booking platforms and pre-arrival communication should emphasize ETIAS application and fee obligations to prevent disruptions. Travel budgets will need to accommodate the €20 ETIAS fee per adult traveler from late 2026, and potential delays during the EES rollout should also be factored in. Marketing and guest communications strategies must highlight these enhanced border requirements, ensuring both leisure and business travelers are well-prepared.
In essence, the EU’s combined implementation of EES in October 2025 and the ETIAS fee hike in late 2026 represents a significant shift in Schengen entry procedures. With comprehensive planning, clear guest communication, and adaptable operational strategies, the travel and hospitality sectors can effectively navigate this transition, transforming compliance demands into opportunities for providing secure and guest-centric service in an era of data-driven border management.
