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EES implementation

We travel with a Rick Steves Tour beginning early September. But after we leave Spain we will fly to Germany for late September to late October. Curious about the process for the EES permit that appears to begin rollout on 12 October.
Any word on what, if anything, will we need to do?

Posted by
17740 posts

You don't do anything. It is implemented on arrival.

But, you wil already be in Schengen so EES won't apply to you until your next visit. There are no borders between Spain and Germany. The EES is for entering the Schengen area.

Posted by
6465 posts

As Frank noted, there's nothing for you to do. EES only applies for entry and exit from the Schengen zone. You will already be there. In any event there is no permit needed. It is automatic. You may be confusing EES with ETIAS, which won't begin until next year.

Posted by
1466 posts

Curious about the process for the EES permit - EES is NOT a permit. It is a way for Schengen countries to electronically monitor your entrance & exit from their visa-free zone, at some point with PHASED introduction, they will start asking non-Schengen passport holders to be fingerprinted & have a photo taken upon entry.

"These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints. This means that travelers’ biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and their personal information may not be registered in the system. Passports will continue to be stamped as usual."

"The new Entry/Exit System (EES) will start operations on 12 October 2025. European countries using the EES will introduce the system gradually at their external borders. This means that data collection will be gradually introduced at border crossing points with full implementation by 10 April 2026. For more information – see What does progressive start of the EES mean?

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees/faq#what-does-progressive-start-of-the-ees-mean