The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration & Home Affairs announced on 27 July that the new Entry/Exit System (EES) – operational at all external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026 – has already logged more than 145 million crossings. The agency published a traveller bulletin outlining who is *not* recorded in the biometric registry, a point that matters for carriers and border staff at French airports and ports. Exempt categories include Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Vatican passport holders, as well as non-EU family members of EU citizens who hold a French residence card, and holders of long-stay visas or residence permits issued by France. A Moroccan spouse with a French residency card, for example, will simply show that card and bypass fingerprint/face-scan kiosks. Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Paris-Orly have already processed more than 18 million EES transactions; Border Police told Global Mobility News that exemption queues now account for 7 % of arrivals and speed up throughput during peak morning banks. Airlines must, however, pre-validate documentation: carriers that mis-classify exempt passengers as EES registrants risk fines under France’s carrier-liability rules. Business-immigration teams should update travel policies immediately. Employees on Talent-Passport permits or intra-company transferee visas issued by France will **not** receive EES stamps; failing to carry their residence card could therefore lead to refusal of boarding by airline staff unfamiliar with the nuance. Mobility managers are advised to circulate copies of the Commission factsheet and encourage staff to keep physical residence cards handy even if they also have the digital titre de séjour on smartphone apps. Looking ahead, France plans to integrate EES data into its border-risk-analysis platform by December, which may allow pre-clearance for frequent-traveller programmes such as PARAFE. Companies moving staff via CDG should monitor these upcoming pilots.
Source: European Commission – DG HOME
