Entry/Exit-System (EES)

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system that records travellers from third countries who intend to stay in the Schengen area for a short period (up to 90 days) upon entry and exit at the Schengen external border. In Austria, the recording of border crossings in the EES applies to international airports and aerodromes.

The EES is based on two EU Regulations (EU) 2017/2226 (‘EES Regulation’) governing the EES and (EU) 2017/2225 amending the Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399). Furthermore, the EU Regulation (EU) 2025/1534 governing the gradual implementation of EES is of relevance.

Between 12^th of October 2025 and 10^th of April 2026, the EES will be gradually introduced throughout the EU.
During this transitional phase, not all travellers subject to the EES will be registered immediately at all border crossing points.
The EES-registration of third-country nationals entering and exiting Schengen will be continuously expanded. As of 10^th of April 2026, the EES will be fully operational at all Schengen external border crossing points. This gradual approach will help border authorities, carriers and travellers to transition to the new border control processes.

Who needs to be registered in the EES?

The following travellers must be registered in the EES:

Third-country nationals (persons who are not citizens of the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland)
who enter or leave for a visa-required or visa-exempt short stay (of up to a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period) in one or more of the following 29 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Who is exempt from EES registration?

The following are exempt from EES registration:

Nationals of the above-mentioned 29 countries applying the EES, as well as nationals of Cyprus and Ireland
Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and holders of passports issued by the Vatican City or the Holy See
Holders of residence permits issued by the Schengen States:
- This includes, for example, residence cards with respect to the Free Movement Directive, residence permits such as the Red-White-Red - Card plus, family member or permanent residence – EU (a complete list of all residence permits issued by Austria is available here: Model residence permit, also see Residence purposes for third-country nationals).

Examples of the above-mentioned documents:

Sample of a residence permit (Red-White-Red-Card)

Example of a residence card — Sample of a residence permit

Holders of a visa for long-term stay (Visa D) of a Schengen State, valid for entry into the federal territory – in Austria this entitles the holder to a stay from 91 days up to 12 months – for example, for the collection of a residence permit, temporary employment, etc. (see further examples under Visa – BMEIA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria )
Heads of State, Heads of Government, members of national governments and accompanying spouses and members of their official delegations, as well as monarchs and other high-ranking members of royal families when they are invited by the governments of the Member States or by international organizations for an official occasion and their entry and exit have been officially announced through diplomatic channels
Flight crew members who hold a travel document and a crew identity card (crew member certificate) are not to be registered in the EES, provided that their travel is not of a private or tourist nature.
This applies regardless of whether a Crew Member Certificate (CMC) has been issued.
This exemption from EES registration does not affect visa requirements.
Members of diplomatic and consular missions, as well as members of international organisations, are exempt from registration in the EES if the following conditions are met:
- Possession of a diplomatic, official, or service passport (e.g. United Nations laissez-passer, European Union laissez-passer, etc.); and
- In the case of accreditation in a Schengen State:
  - Possession of a legitimation card or other official proof of assignment to a mission within the territory of a Schengen State (e.g. a verbal note).
- For non-accredited holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports:
  - Possession of an official confirmation stating that their entry is for official purposes – for example, participation in an event upon invitation by an international organisation – and that registration in the EES would constitute an impediment to freedom of movement.

Holders of ordinary passports entering for the purpose of participating in an event organised by an international organisation are not covered by the above exemption.

Where a Visa D or a residence permit is held, the exemption from EES registration applies regardless of the above conditions.

Information for Transit Passengers

The EES applies at the first Schengen entry and the last Schengen exit.

If travellers remain in the transit area during a flight within the Schengen area and no border check is carried out, their data will not be recorded in the EES.

Further information for dual citizens:

If you have a passport from a country whose citizens are not subject to EES registration, as well as a passport from a third country (e.g. USA), you should use the passport of the country exempt from EES registration when entering or leaving the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

This avoids mandatory registration as a third-country national in the EES. Using your EU or Schengen travel document facilitates your entry and exit and ensures that your freedom of movement rights is respected.

Information for holders of residence permits, residence cards or visas for long-stay in the territory of a Schengen member state:

Holders of residence permits, residence cards or long-stay visas must present the relevant documents during border control. Otherwise, registration in the EES is required.

Third-country nationals who were already registered in the EES prior to obtaining a residence permit, a residence card or a visa for long-term stay in the territory of a Schengen Member State will be deleted from the EES after lawful receipt of these documents, but remain subject to the EES until that time.

Registration in the EES will, however, again be required if, for example, after the expiry of the visa for long-term stay (visa D), a visa-free short stay is taken up. See more under "EES registration in the country"

Example: A visa-free third-country national travels to Austria in order to collect an approved residence permit. Upon entry, he/she does not yet possess a valid residence permit, therefore the entry will be recorded in the EES. If the person later leaves or reenters Schengen Area with the valid residence permit, he/she will no longer be recorded in the EES, provided the residence permit is presented at the border crossing. After expiry of the residence permit, the person must again be registered in the EES.

What changes at border control after the introduction of the EES?

There are no changes with respect to the border control process for nationals of Schengen states, third-country nationals holding a residence permit, residence card or long-stay visa in the territory of a Schengen state, as well as for other persons exempt from EES registration.

For third-country nationals required to register in the EES, several key changes apply to the border control process:

With the full introduction of the EES, there is a Union law obligation to provide biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) in the course of border control.

These data are required for the purposes of identification, registration in the EES, and for carrying out verification upon re-entry into the territory of the EU/EEA States or Switzerland.

During the gradual introduction in the period between 12^th of October 2025 and 10^th of April 2026, it should be noted that biometric data may not be collected at all border control counters – for example, due to technical reasons.

As data on entries and exits as well as refusals of entry will in future be recorded electronically, stamping of passports will generally no longer apply to third-country nationals subject to the EES (different rules apply during the phase of gradual EES introduction, see below).

During the gradual introduction of EES between 12^th of October 2025 and 10^th of April 2026, passports of third-country nationals subject to the EES obligation must also be stamped.

Self-Service-Systeme — Self-Service-System
© secunet Security Networks AG

However, third-country nationals holding a residence permit or a long-stay visa issued by the Austrian authorities remain subject to the stamp requirement as they are not covered by the EES.

In addition, the introduction of the EES will allow the use of self-service-systems where travellers can pre-enter the data needed for border control.

In Austria, such systems are available at Vienna International Airport and Salzburg Airport

Use is permitted for third-country nationals subject to the EES from the age of 12 and requires a biometric passport with an electronic chip.

The EES also offers third-country nationals subject to the EES the possibility to check the number of days they are still allowed to stay in the territory of the European Member States with the help of the EES online tool "Short- stay calculator" .

What must travellers particularly bear in mind due to the introduction of the EES?

With the introduction of the EES, border control for third-country nationals subject to the EES will presumably take somewhat more time. The reason for this is additional, legally prescribed steps, such as the collection of biometric data.

What does this mean for all travelers?

From the start of the EES, expect longer waiting times at entry and exit border crossing points (in Austria, this applies only to airports and aerodromes) and plan sufficient time to avoid missing flights or other connections.

Important for third-country nationals:

For third-country nationals subject to the EES, the collection of biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) is mandatory. Refusal to provide biometric data during border crossing will lead to refusal of entry in accordance with Article 14 of the Schengen Borders Code.

It should also be noted that with the introduction of the EES, overstays beyond the permitted duration of stay as well as document and identity fraud (at the border as well as within the territory) can be detected more effectively.

What remains unchanged?

The EES does not change the existing entry, residence, and visa regulations. Please ensure that your passport and – if required – your visa are valid.

More information on visas can be found at: Entry / Visa / Visa-free / EVE

Rules on the use of bilateral visa waiver agreements (“old agreements”) by visa-free third-country nationals

With the introduction of the EES, visa-free third-country nationals may only extend their visa-free stay in the federal territory upon application, on the basis of a bilateral visa waiver agreement ("old agreement").

The application must be submitted at the time of entry or during the stay, at the latest on the last working day of the 90-day stay within a 180-day period, to the competent authority (in Austria: the Provincial Police Directorates). Further information on submitting an application in the country can be found under "EES registration in the country".
If no application is submitted, exceeding the 90 days may subsequently be considered lawful by the authority if the person concerned can credibly demonstrate that he or she remained only within the territory of that Member State during this period.
The subsequent extension of the stay may therefore also take place upon exit. Exit from the Schengen area must always take place directly from the Member State which extended the stay on its territory on the basis of an old agreement.

Further travel to other Schengen Member States for the purpose of exiting the Schengen area is therefore not permitted.

List of Member States' bilateral visa waiver agreements with third countries allowing for an extension of the period of stay in accordance with Article 20(2), point (b), of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement

Note: this list is currently being updated by the European Commission and is therefore not entirely accurate with regard to agreements concluded by Austria.

What are the rules applicable to United Kingdom nationals and their accompanying family members?

The United Kingdom has not been a member of the European Union since 31st of January 2020. British nationals are therefore considered third-country nationals and are in principle required to be registered in the EES if they enter or leave the aforementioned EU/EEA States or Switzerland for a short stay (up to 90 days).

However, holders of residence permits or visas for long-term stay are exempt from registration in the EES.

In addition, British nationals and their family members who benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement are exempt from registration in the EES if:

they hold a residence permit in accordance with Article 18 of the Withdrawal Agreement (e.g. residence permit in accordance with Article 50 TEU) or
they hold a provisional document confirming the submission of an application for a residence permit in accordance with Article 18 of the Withdrawal Agreement, provided that this document was issued by one of the following States:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia or Spain
This exception does not apply to confirmations issued by Austria – therefore, holders of such application confirmations are subject to the EES.

If the affected third-country nationals are not in possession of the aforementioned documents, they must be registered in the EES – this includes family members who wish to join a person benefiting from the Withdrawal Agreement.

Further information on the application of the EES to British citizens and their family members joining them can be found in the FAQ section section on the EES website of the European Commission.

What personal data are recorded in the EES and how long are they stored?

Biometric data required for the creation of personal EES files of travellers – fingerprints and facial image
Alphanumeric data required for the creation of personal EES files and travel records: first name, last name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, visa-related information, place and date of entry and exit or of a refusal of entry

The personal EES file of the traveller is created upon first entry and remains stored for 3 years and 1 day after the last exit or refusal of entry, provided that no new entry takes place within these three years.

For frequently travelling third-country nationals subject to the EES, the files remain stored in the EES and usually do not need to be recreated.

The entry/exit records or refusal-of-entry records linked to the EES file are stored in the central EES system for 3 years after the date of the exit record or the refusal-of-entry record.

The data of third-country nationals subject to EES who exceed the authorised period of stay in the territory of the member states shall be stored for 5 years after the end of the authorised stay.

EES registration in the country

After expiry of a residence permit or a visa for long-term stay (Visa D) in Austria, registration in the EES is required, as the basis for exemption from EES registration no longer applies.

If EES registration is carried out only at the time of exit at a Schengen external border, longer waiting times are to be expected. Moreover, registering immediately after the expiration of the above-mentioned documents in the country facilitates proof of lawful residence.

Registration in the EES can already be carried out during the stay in the country at the Provincial Police Directorates.

Affected persons should primarily contact the Provincial Police Directorate of the federal province in which they have their residence. This also applies to the use of bilateral visa waiver agreements (“old agreements”) by visa-free third-country nationals in the country.