The European Commission has set 10 April as the final go-live date for the Schengen-wide Entry/Exit System, Greek City Times reported on 1 April. From that day, manual passport stamps will disappear for non-EU/EFTA travellers, including visitors to and from Switzerland. Biometric data (facial image and four fingerprints) and passport details will be captured electronically at every external border crossing. Since its phased debut in October 2025 the system has already processed 45 million crossings and refused entry to over 24,000 travellers with invalid papers. EU officials say the digital register will tighten security and curb overstays by automatically calculating each traveller’s permitted Schengen days. However, trade bodies warn of two-hour queues at some airports and are lobbying for flexibility (see ACI story above). Zurich and Geneva have installed 120 self-service kiosks between them and plan to dedicate extra staff during the first fortnight of full operations. Companies should prepare travellers for initial teething problems and ensure that frequent flyers have their fingerprints enrolled to speed up future trips. The EES is also a prerequisite for the forthcoming ETIAS travel authorisation, now pencilled in for late 2026.
Source: Greek City Times
