Travelers to EU countries need to take care of a biometric passport
It will no longer be possible to travel to Europe without a biometric passport from the second half of 2024
The EU entry system will be operational in the second half of 2024/Exit (Entry/Exit System, EES). Launch of an automated entry system/The Entry/Exit System (EES), which will register non-EU travelers every time they cross the external borders of European countries, will be launched in 2024. The innovation applies to both visitors who require a short-term visa and those who do not need a visa.
There is still no official specific start date for EES. However, the large-scale project will still work in 2024, which is confirmed by the information updated at the beginning of February on the European Commission website and the portal “New requirements for travel to Europe” (under the jurisdiction of the Main Directorate of Migration and Internal Affairs of the EU).
Information and explanatory materials indicate that the entry system/Travel to the EU will start working in the second half of 2024.
However, European media, citing a statement from Eurotunnel, the company that operates the underwater railway tunnel between the UK and France, report that EES will be launched on October 6, 2024. This means that the platform will work after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Last year, the French authorities urged Brussels to delay the introduction of innovations amid a large influx of foreigners during the Olympics.
Recall that the launch date of EES was postponed several times due to technical problems, as well as insufficient readiness in certain EU states.
According to the EC, 29 countries belonging to the Schengen area, including Bulgaria and Romania, which will partially join it from March 31, 2024, will participate in this project.
When the EES is operational, travel document data, personal data, as well as information on the purpose, place and time of entry/exit of each non–EU traveler will be recorded in this system.
When entering the Schengen area for the first time, you will have to take a photo and scan your fingerprints (biometric data). This information will be stored in the database for three years, after which it will be automatically deleted.
If a traveler refuses to provide his biometric data, he will be denied entry to the territory of European countries that use the Entry/Exit System platform.
“The main advantage of EES is time saving. The new system replaces passport stamping and automates border control procedures, which makes travel to European countries using EES more efficient for the traveler,” the EC materials say.
However, it will not be possible to enter the EU as easily as it is declared. In fact, there will be two stages of passport control.
The first is through a “self–service system”: special kiosks that will be installed at international airports and other checkpoints.
At the second stage, the traveler will still have a conversation with a border guard officer, who can ask additional questions before deciding whether to grant or deny access to the relevant territory.
“Automation replaces time-consuming actions, allowing passport control staff to focus on assessing a person’s situation. This helps to optimize border processes,” the European Commission explains.
Exceptions are Cyprus and Ireland. Despite the fact that these countries are part of the EU, passports will still be checked and stamped manually when entering and leaving them. They will not be connected to the EES system.
Important: The Entry/Exit System will require travelers to have a biometric passport (a passport containing a chip with biometric information). In Russia, they are issued for 10 years.
Accordingly, Russians who have an old-style passport (five years old), even with a valid Schengen visa (well, suddenly) will not be able to enter the Schengen area under the new rules.Without a biometric passport, they simply will not be allowed to pass.
There will be several EU organizations that will have access to the EES database. Firstly, these are the specialized services (border, visa and immigration) of the Schengen countries – to verify the identity of the traveler and understand whether he should be allowed to enter or stay in the territory.
Secondly, Europol is for law enforcement purposes.In addition, under certain conditions, a person’s personal data may be transferred to another state (an EU country or a non-EU country) or an international organization for repatriation or law enforcement purposes.
International carriers will also have limited access to the EES database: airlines, railway and bus operators.
Through EES, they will be able to check whether short-term visa holders have already used the number of entries allowed by their visa. Access to other personal data of tourists will be closed to them.
The EC promises that as soon as the entry/exit system is operational, travelers will be able to receive information from passport control staff about the maximum remaining duration of the permitted stay on a visa.
If a person stays longer than stipulated by the visa, he will be identified as an overdue stay. Depending on the national legislation in force in the relevant European country, the violator may be expelled, subjected to an administrative fine or detention, or banned from entering the EU in the future.
A traveler who believes that his data in the EES system is incorrect or inaccurate has the right to request access to this information and request its correction or deletion.
However, the path to this will be thorny: by filing a complaint with the supervisory authority of a European country responsible for processing this data, or with authorized EU agencies related to data processing, for example, Frontex, eu-LISA or Europol. The European Commission does not specify how long it will take to consider such a complaint and what the rules for its consideration will be.
