New rules at EU borders. Changes will be felt by foreigners and employers.

From April 10, 2026, the European Union's Entry-Exit System is fully operational across all 29 Schengen Area countries. The system has been progressively introduced since October 12, 2025, and has now reached full mandatory implementation at all external borders — air, land, and sea.

What is the EES?

The EES is an automated digital system that registers non-EU nationals each time they cross the external borders of the Schengen Area for a short stay. It replaces the traditional manual stamping of passports with electronic records. At the border, travellers must provide a facial image, fingerprints from one hand, and personal data from their travel document. This data is stored for three years and automatically calculates how many Schengen days a traveller has used and how many remain under the 90-day-in-180-days rule.

Since the phased rollout began in October 2025, over 45 million border crossings have been registered. More than 24,000 people have been refused entry due to expired or fraudulent documents, and over 600 individuals posing a security risk to Europe have been identified and recorded in the system.

Who is affected?

The EES applies to all nationals of non-EU and non-Schengen countries travelling for short stays — regardless of whether they require a visa. This includes Ukrainian citizens, UK nationals, US citizens, and visitors from countries such as India, Nepal, Belarus, and others. The system does not apply to EU and Schengen Area citizens, nor to non-EU nationals holding long-stay visas or valid residence permits — they are exempt from EES registration.

What changes at the border?

Travellers entering the Schengen Area for the first time under EES must register their biometric data — a facial photo and fingerprints — at the border. Subsequent entries use a quick biometric scan to verify identity and calculate remaining stay. The system automatically detects overstayers, making it impossible to reset the 90-day Schengen clock through short trips outside the zone — a practice that was previously difficult to track with manual stamps.

Many major airports, including those in Warsaw, Madrid, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, have installed self-service kiosks to speed up the process. However, travellers are advised to arrive at least one to two hours earlier than usual, particularly during peak travel periods, as processing times have increased by up to 70 per cent at some locations during the rollout phase.

The official "Travel to Europe" mobile app, available on iOS and Android, allows non-EU travellers to pre-register passport data and a biometric photo up to 72 hours before arrival, shortening border queues where the app is supported.

What does this mean for employers?

For employers hiring non-EU foreign nationals, the EES introduces greater clarity — and greater risk. Overstay calculations are now instant, automatic, and indisputable. There is no longer any grey area created by missing or unclear passport stamps. Employers must ensure that foreign workers, visiting clients, and business travellers from non-EU countries have not exceeded their 90-day Schengen allowance before authorising travel to any EU country.

HR and global mobility teams are advised to audit the travel histories of foreign staff who travel frequently within the Schengen Area, particularly specialists from the USA, Japan, South Korea, and other visa-exempt countries. Once the EES is fully integrated with Poland's own immigration systems — expected in September 2026 — automated controls will make it impossible to extend a Schengen stay through short border trips.

Ukraine and EES — what to know

Ukrainian citizens who hold a valid residence card or work permit in Poland are exempt from EES. However, Ukrainians travelling on visa-free entry or short-stay visas are subject to the system, and their stays will be digitally tracked. For employers of Ukrainian workers, it is essential to verify that their employees hold valid Polish residence documents and are not relying on short-stay entry as a basis for their presence in Poland.

What comes next — ETIAS

The EES is separate from ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, which will require advance online travel authorisation for visa-exempt non-EU travellers. ETIAS is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2026. Once active, it will add layer of pre-screening for non-EU visitors seeking to enter the Schengen Area.

Sources:

European Commission — Migration and Home Affairs, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu eu-LISA — Entry/Exit System fully deployed, eulisa. europa.EU France Diplomatie — EES goes live April 10, 2026, diplomatie.gouv.fr Euronews — EES what travellers need to know, euronews.com Grant Thornton Poland — Employment of foreign nationals 2026, grantthornton.pl