Travel to France: Your questions answered about EES And ETIAS
At the time of writing,
the start date
for the Entry & Exit System (EES) is October 12th, 2025, with a six-month phased introduction.
It will be followed by the European Travel Authorisation and Information System (ETIAS)
in the final quarter of 2026
- exact date still is to be confirmed. ETIAS will also be rolled out in a phased introduction over six months.
There's no guarantee that these won't be postponed again, but as things stand travel will begin to change later this year.
You can read the full explanation of these two systems
HERE
, but essentially EES is an enhanced biometric passport check which also digitises enforcement of the 90-day rule to replace manual passport stamping, while ETIAS is an online visa waiver required for tourists and other visitors into the EU/Schengen zone.
There's no doubt that these will have a big impact on travel in and out of the Schengen zone, and unsurprisingly, readers of The Local have questions.
Advertisement
Much of the official information is aimed at tourists, rather than people who have a visa or residency permit in an EU/Schengen zone country. Here are some of the most common questions we have been asked, broken down into sections on first EES and then ETIAS.
EES (Entry & Exit System)
I'm not an EU citizen, but I'm a resident of an EU country, do I need to complete EES pre-registration?
This is the big question for readers of The Local, many of whom are non-EU citizens who live in an EU/Schengen zone country with either a long-stay visa or a residency permit.
They are not covered by EES and do not have to complete EES pre registration or provide biometrics - the reason for this is that a primary function of the system is to better monitor the '90 day rule', which of course residents are not limited by.
However, while it is clear that residents are not covered by EES, exactly how this will work in practice at an airport, station or port remains frustratingly unclear, with foreign EU residents told only to not use automated passport gates and try to find a manned booth where you can show both your passport and visa/residency permit.
I'm a second home owner, does this apply to me?
It depends - do you have a visa or not? Some second-home owners want to spend more than 90 days out of every 180 at their property in France, so they get a short-term visa (less than six months), which allows them extended stays but does not make them a resident of the country.
Visa-holders are not required to complete EES, but anyone who doesn't have a visa or residency permit is required to complete EES pre-registration, owning property does not, in itself, give you any specific rights in the country where your property is located.
I have a visa, what about me?
Visa-holders are not required to complete EES pre-registration and this applies to all types of visa, with the exception of those who hold the short-stay Schengen visa.
Advertisement
While nationals of countries such as the UK, USA, Canada and Australia benefit from up to 90 days of visa-free travel into the EU/Schengen zone, citizens of other countries - including Turkey and India - need a visa even for short visits. Those coming for a stay of less than 90 days - for example tourists or people paying family visits - get a Schengen visa. Schengen visa holders are not exempt from EES.
Holders of other visa types - for example student visas, working visas, non-lucrative or visitor visas - are exempt from EES requirements.
I'm a citizen of an EU, EEA or Schengen zone country.
You are exempt from EES requirements.
I'm a dual national, holding the passports of both an EU and non-EU country (eg Franco-British or Italian-American).
- For dual nationals it depends on the passport you are travelling on - those travelling on the non-EU passport will need EES, those travelling on the EU passport won't.
One quick caveat here - the EES website is not actually up and running yet, so we don't know exactly how the online pre-registration process will work. The rule is outlined above is how it is supposed to work in theory - hopefully it will avoid
the fiasco of the UK's ETA system
which in effect bars British dual nationals from travelling on their non-UK passport.
How much does it cost?
There is no fee for EES, it's ETIAS that has a cost.
Advertisement
How do I prepare for this?
Assuming you're not in one of the exempt groups, you will need to complete EES pre registration the first time you cross an external Schengen border after the introduction of the system.
The pre registration involves filling out a questionnaire with personal details, and supplying fingerprints and a facial scan. Exactly how these details will be taken depends on the system at the entry port - for example the process at Port of Dover passengers for the car ferries will be slightly different to the airport protocols.
But once you have completed the registration you will not need to do that again until you get a new passport - after that it will simply be a case of scanning your passport at the automated passport controls.
Some airports and ports are already running live testing of their systems so you might encounter this when you travel.
There is at present no way of completing pre-registration in advance of arrival at the airport/port/station - any website offering to complete EES for you is a scam site.
Are there scams?
Unfortunately yes, scammers are already taking advantage of both EES and ETIAS to try to get your money and personal details.
Advertisement
Will it be required everywhere after October 12th?
Due to concerns about delays and readiness, the European Commission has opted for a phased introduction for this, aiming for full implementation within six months (so by April 2026).
So it's not a big bang roll out at every port and airport. During the introduction phase it will be up to each country to choose which ports/airports/stations that will enforce EES, although they must have a certain percentage of entry points using the system.
There will also be the option for ports to pause EES checks in the event of long queues, something projected to be a particular problem at the busy UK-France border.
ETIAS
After EES comes ETIAS, its current start date is the final quarter of 2026 (so between October and December), but it won't be introduced until EES is fully up and running, so any further delays to that will effect ETIAS too.
This is different in format to EES - it requires travellers to go online in advance of their trip, fill in a form and pay the €20 fee in order to receive the ETIAS travel authorisation. Once purchased this will last three years (or until you get a new passport) and covers multiple trips.
I'm a resident of an EU/Schengen country, am I exempt?
Yes. ETIAS is mostly aimed at tourists and visitors - non-EU citizens who live in an EU, EEA or Schengen zone country with a visa or residency permit are exempt. Simply show your passport and visa/residency permit at the border, just as you do now.
I'm a second-home owner, am I exempt?
As with EES, it depends on whether you have a visa or not. Visa-holders are exempt, people travelling under the 90-day allowance are not.
I'm only making a weekend trip, am I exempt?
No, ETIAS is required for all tourists and visitors to the Schengen zone, even if they are only making a short trip.
Advertisement
I have a Schengen visa, am I exempt?
If you are a national of a country that does not benefit from the 90-day rule for visa free travel then you will need the short-stay visitor visa known as the Schengen visa in order to enter the Bloc. Because you have a visa, you are exempt from ETIAS. The same applies to all other visa holders.
I'm a pensioner, am I exempt?
If you are over the age of 70 or under the age of 18 you are not exempt from the requirement for an ETIAS visa waiver, but you are exempt from the fee. Simply fill out the online form and, once you have entered your date of birth, the form will skip the payment section.
Can I apply now?
No. The ETIAS website is not yet up and running, it is expected to come online a couple of months before the start date (which is, at present, late 2026).
Any website which at present is claiming to process ETIAS applications or offering to help you with them is a scam.
Advertisement
Is this a phased introduction too?
Yes, although in a slightly different way to EES. Once ETIAS is introduced, you will still be allowed into the EU without one for the first six months - this is intended as the 'education phase', where those travelling without an ETIAS will be informed of the new requirements, but won't be blocked from entering the EU.
Only after spring 2027 (if all goes according to plan) will people start to be turned back at the border if they don't have an ETIAS.
Still confused? Put your questions in the comment section below and we will do our best to answer them
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
3 hours ago
- Local France
EU confirms launch date for new border system to 'help identify overstayers'
The so-called Entry/Exit System (EES), was initially supposed to kick in last November but was pushed back at the last minute as several countries were not ready. The EES will record visitors' date of entry and exit and keep track of overstays and refused entries. Travellers will have details and biometric data -- facial images and fingerprints -- collected. READ MORE on EES: Get all the latest articles on EES border system The system's introduction has raised fears of queues and longer waiting times for people travelling to Europe on trains, ferries and planes. In March, member states agreed on a phased roll out, which the European Commission said Wednesday will begin on October 12. "This will strengthen security... by helping us identify overstayers, prevent irregular movements, and reduce document and identity fraud," said Magnus Brunner, the commissioner for migration. First agreed on in 2017, the automated system will be used in the EU's 27 countries with the exception of Ireland and Cyprus. READ ALSO: EU reveals how EES border system will be phased in Advertisement Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which are not EU members but are part of the Schengen free movement area, will also apply it. The commission said that travellers "can expect information campaigns" at airports and other border crossings across the EU in the months leading up to the launch. "With a six-month rollout, member states, travellers, and businesses will have the time to adjust to the new system," Brunner said. READ ALSO: Your questions answered about EES and ETIAS Under the phased rollout, member states should ramp up towards operating the system at half of border crossing points after three months and have it fully deployed by six months. "EES may take each passenger a few extra minutes to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border once the system starts," Britain's Foreign Office said in a travel update.
Local France
3 hours ago
- Local France
How do the EU's new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?
"This system will strengthen security... by helping us identify over-stayers, prevent irregular movements, and reduce document and identity fraud," Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for migration, said on Wednesday as he confirmed the EES start date of October 12th, 2025. 90-day rule When travelling into the EU/Schengen zone, some travellers benefit from a visa-free travel allowance of 90 days in every 180. This doesn't apply to all travellers, some people need a visa even for short visits, but citizens of countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil and Japan are allowed to spend 90 days in the EU in every 180 without needing a visa. You can find the full list of 90-day countries here . This travel allowance is intended for business trips, holidays, family visits and other short stays - it's not for people moving to an EU country, or for those who are working (with the exception of short business trips, conferences and other professional visits). You can find a full explanation of how it works HERE . The rule has been in place for decades for non-EU citizens, but has only applied to Brits since Brexit. Advertisement For most tourists 90 days in every 180 is more than enough, but other visitors use their full allowance - especially second-home owners who often make multiple trips in a year. For these people keeping track of the 90 days is important, and various online calculators or calendars have sprung up to help people keep track. Over-staying the 90 day allowance is an immigration offence and can be punishable by fines or a ban on re-entering the EU or Schengen zone. So how does EES affect this? The Entry & Exit System is essentially an enhanced passport check that has two main purposes; making ID checks more secure by adding biometrics and tightening up on over-stayers. The 90-day rule itself remains unchanged, but EES is likely to make it significantly harder to 'slip through the cracks' and stay for longer than 90 days in every 180. The system does away with the current and rather haphazard manual stamping of passports, and instead introduces a digital system that automatically calculates how long the person has been in the EU, based on their previous entry and exit data. It then calculates whether the person has spent more than 90 days in the Bloc during the previous six months (180 days). Over-stayers will therefore automatically be flagged when they try and leave. The system should - if it works as intended - mean that it's basically impossible to over-stay without being detected. On the other hand it should also eliminate the confusion that is sometimes caused by the current system - for example if people have their passport stamped on arrival but not on exit, or those who end up with illegible stamps, or whose passports are stamped in error. In theory, this should be good news for the vast majority of 90-day visitors who play by the rules and carefully stay within the limits. It should also end the differences between countries that strictly enforce the 90 rule, and those who take a more laissez-faire attitude. What about residents of an EU country? Non-EU citizens who live in an EU or Schengen zone country with a residency permit are not required to use EES (since they are not bound by the 90-day rule and can stay for as long as their residency permit is valid). Likewise, anyone in an EU country on a long-stay visa - eg a visitor visa, student visa or working visa - is not required to use EES. Advertisement Residents and visa holders instead pass through the manned passport booth, showing their passport and visa/residency permit. However residents are still, in theory, bound by the 90-day rule when visiting another part of the EU. For example an American resident in France could only visit Italy for 90 days out of every 180. Likewise a Brit living in Sweden would be limited to 90 days in every 180 for holidays in other EU countries. Exactly how this will be enforced, however, is not clear, since residents are not required to use EES. Advertisement In truth, this rule has always been more theoretical anyway, since travel within the EU and Schengen zone is largely paperwork free with minimal formalities at internal borders. EES is used only at the EU's external borders - for example the UK-France border or a flight from Canada to Spain - so it would not affect travel within the Bloc. An EU resident arriving into the Schengen zone via a different country - for example a British resident of France travelling from the UK to Spain - would show their French residency permit at the Spanish border. Remember, this article is only about EES. The EU's other big travel change - ETIAS - also affects the 90-day rule. You can find a full explanation of both EES and ETIAS here , plus our Frequently Asked Questions section here .
LeMonde
16 hours ago
- LeMonde
EU set to launch an automated border system in October
The European Union announced, on Wednesday, July 30, that a delayed new border-check system for non-EU nationals, which will do away with passport stamps, will finally launch in October. The so-called Entry/Exit System (EES) was initially supposed to kick in last November, but was pushed back at the last minute as several countries were not ready. The EES will record visitors' entry and exit dates and keep track of overstays and refused entries. Travelers will have details and biometric data – facial images and fingerprints – collected. "This will strengthen security (...) by helping us identify overstayers, prevent irregular movements and reduce document and identity fraud," said Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for migration. Fears of longer queues and waiting times The automated system, which was first agreed to in 2017, will be used in the EU's 27 countries, except for Ireland and Cyprus. Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which are not EU members but are part of the Schengen free movement area, will also apply it. In March, member states agreed on a phased rollout, which the European Commission said, on Wednesday, would begin on October 12. Under the phased rollout, member states should ramp up toward implementing the system at half of their border crossing points after three months and have it fully deployed by six months. The commission said that travelers "can expect information campaigns" at airports and other border crossings across the EU in the months leading up to the launch. "With a six-month rollout, member states, travelers and businesses will have the time to adjust to the new system," Brunner said. The system's introduction has raised fears of longer queues and waiting times for people traveling to Europe on trains, ferries and planes. "EES may take each passenger a few extra minutes to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border once the system starts," Britain's Foreign Office said in a travel update.
