EU Ministers Approve Game-Changing Entry/Exit System, Strengthening Schengen Security For Millions Of Travelers

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On March 5, European Union home affairs ministers reached a consensus on a new regulation that will enable the gradual implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES). This advanced IT system is designed to track the movements of non-EU travelers entering and exiting the Schengen zone for short-term visits.

Under this regulation, EU member states will introduce the EES through a phased approach, allowing for a six-month transition period before the system becomes fully operational.

Before the law is finalized, the European Parliament must establish its stance on the matter. Once this is done, negotiations between the Parliament and the Council will begin to finalize the legislation.

Additionally, ministers endorsed an updated roadmap for rolling out an integrated IT network for border control and law enforcement, known as the interoperability architecture. This plan, approved by the eu-LISA management board—the agency responsible for the EU’s IT infrastructure—outlines the EES launch in a progressive manner starting in October 2025.

The roadmap also includes the deployment of a revised version of Eurodac, the EU’s biometric database used for identifying asylum seekers, which is scheduled to go live in June 2026. Furthermore, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is set to be introduced in the last quarter of 2026.

ETIAS is an online travel authorization rather than a visa. Travelers who obtain valid ETIAS approval will be permitted to stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period across 30 participating European countries.