As the 12 October launch of the six-month rollout of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES) approaches, a number of myths and misconceptions about what it really means for travellers have surfaced.
While some claim that non-EU travellers will need to prove their travel insurance, others believe that the EES is being implemented as punishment for Brexit.
But how much of the speculation is true and which claims are myths? We took a look at some of the most common misconceptions.
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The EES system will only apply to non-EU citizens, both from visa-exempt countries, as well as from third-party countries, who are travelling for short stays to or from the Schengen Area.
EU citizens, as well as those with long-term visas and residence permits from a country in the Schengen Area, will not be affected by the EES system, according to the European Union.
Non-EU nationals who are travelling to Europe for studies, research, training, pupil exchange schemes, voluntary service, au-pairing or educational projects will not be impacted by the EES as well.
Similarly, people who have obtained certain border check privileges, as well as people exempt from border checks, such as cross-border workers and heads of state, will not have to go through the EES system, among other exempt categories.
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The EES system will only record travel and biometric-specific information about visitors, such as facial scans, fingerprints, entry/exit dates and passport details. It will not track other personal information and details, such as activities and daily movements within the EU. The data it collects will be governed by strict EU data protection regulations with clear limits on access, how long it can be held for and its use.
Its purpose is to ensure that travellers are meeting the 90-day rule for short stays and are not overstaying within the Schengen Area.
The source provided is nonsense. See these instead…
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias
I could be wrong, but I believe EES (Entrance/
Exit System) is only for those traveling from or to Britain. 🤷🏻♂️
ETIAS will affect Americans (and others from outside the EU) traveling to Europe. At present, ETIAS is scheduled to take effect towards the end of 2026.
ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026.
I heard on NPR yesterday that fingerprints and biometrics will be used and saved in a database. And each person will have his/her face scanned when arriving and when leaving to be sure the person arriving is in the approved visitor database and to be sure the person leaves by the end of the 90 days. And this will be done at @ 1,800 entry/exit points no matter the mode of transportation.
FYI: The European Union has very specific guidelines regarding past criminal offenses. According to those guidelines, even very serious offenses are considered “spent” after 10 years time (ncluding sex offenses.)
(The exception to this is terrorism-related offenses which carry a 10-year 20-year time frame before they are considered spent.)
Here is some additional information (including links at the bottom of the article):
Applying for ETIAS with a Criminal Record
To the best of my understanding – and I’m still looking for the exact EU information / source – if the offense and incarceration occurred more than 10 years ago, you are not even required to make note of it on your entire application. When I find that exact citation / information, I will post it here.