For years, we at Travel Off Path have been tracking the buzz around the European Union’s new high-tech border systems. It’s been a confusing journey of delays and speculation, but the first major change is finally here, and it starts next month.
The long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES) is kicking off, but not with the big, simultaneous launch many expected. Instead, we’re seeing a staggered, country-by-country rollout that will change how Americans enter Europe.
But before we get into the new changes, you might be surprised to learn that several countries already have these measures in place.
Countries Already Requiring Fingerprinting
While the new system in Europe is making headlines, biometric collection is not a new concept globally. If you’ve traveled internationally, you may have already had your fingerprints and photo taken. Americans are currently required to provide this data when entering these 10 countries:
- Argentina: Expect a fingerprint scan and photo on both entry and exit.
- China: Foreign visitors (typically ages 14-70) provide fingerprints and a facial photo.
- India: Travelers using an e-Visa have their biometric data captured upon arrival.
- Japan: A long-standing practice where most foreign nationals provide two index finger scans and a photo.
- South Korea: Visitors 17 and over provide fingerprints and a photo, enabling future use of automated gates.
- Singapore: First-time visitors enroll their iris, facial, and fingerprint data to speed up future entries.
- Kenya: Immigration captures both fingerprints and a facial photograph on arrival.
- South Africa: Ports of entry collect fingerprints and a photo as part of an ongoing security rollout.
- Russia: Mandatory biometric screening for foreign travelers is in effect at entry points.
- Kuwait: Biometric fingerprinting is required and can be completed at the airport upon arrival.
The Big Change Coming To Europe Next Month
This is where the most significant shift for American travelers is happening. The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is finally launching, and it’s officially replacing passport stamps.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s happening:
What Is The EES?
Instead of a border guard stamping your passport, you’ll use a self-service kiosk to scan it. On your first entry into a country using the system, you will be required to provide biometric data: specifically, four fingerprints and a facial photograph. This information is then securely stored for three years, making your subsequent trips faster.
EES vs. ETIAS: What’s The Difference?
This is a crucial point of confusion. EES and ETIAS are two completely different things.
- The EES (The Kiosk): This is the physical process you’ll do at the border to get your fingerprints/photo taken.
- The ETIAS (The Website): This is the online travel authorization (20 Euros) you will need to apply for before you travel. The ETIAS is now scheduled to launch in the last quarter of 2026.
Croatia & Spain Lead The Way Starting October 12
Croatia will be the first European country to officially activate its EES system, which was followed quickly by Spain. Starting October 12, 2025, if you’re flying into airports like Zagreb (ZAG) or Dubrovnik (DBV) or Madrid (MAD), you will be directed to the new EES kiosks to complete this process.
What About The Rest Of Europe?
For the next several months, travelers will face a patchwork of systems. The other 28 countries in the Schengen Zone are now expected to have their coordinated launch in the first half of 2026. So, while you’ll use a kiosk in Croatia next month, you will likely still get a classic passport stamp if you fly directly to France, Italy, or Spain.
Here are the other countries set to implement the EES in 2026:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, 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.
To see if your next trip is on the list, type your country in the tool below to see! And as always, for the most up-to-date entry requirements, use our Travel Entry Requirement Checker here.
{ const mainContainer = document.getElementById(‘top-fingerprint-checker-v1’); if (!mainContainer || mainContainer.hasAttribute(‘data-initialized’)) { return; } mainContainer.setAttribute(‘data-initialized’, ‘true’); const data = { countries: [ { name: “Argentina”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Expect a fingerprint scan and photo on both entry and exit.” }, { name: “China”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Foreign visitors (typically ages 14-70) provide fingerprints and a facial photo.” }, { name: “India”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Travelers using an e-Visa have their biometric data captured upon arrival.” }, { name: “Japan”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Most foreign nationals provide two index finger scans and a photo.” }, { name: “South Korea”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Visitors 17 and over provide fingerprints and a photo, enabling future use of automated gates.” }, { name: “Singapore”, status: “Already Required”, note: “First-time visitors enroll their iris, facial, and fingerprint data to speed up future entries.” }, { name: “Kenya”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Immigration captures both fingerprints and a facial photograph on arrival.” }, { name: “South Africa”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Ports of entry collect fingerprints and a photo as part of an ongoing security rollout.” }, { name: “Russia”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Mandatory biometric screening for foreign travelers is in effect at entry points.” }, { name: “Kuwait”, status: “Already Required”, note: “Biometric fingerprinting is required and can be completed at the airport upon arrival.” }, { name: “Croatia”, status: “EES – From Oct 2025”, note: “One of the first countries to use the new EES kiosks, collecting four fingerprints and a facial photo on first entry.” }, { name: “Spain”, status: “EES – From Oct 2025”, note: “One of the first countries to use the new EES kiosks, collecting four fingerprints and a facial photo on first entry.” }, { name: “Austria”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Belgium”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Bulgaria”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Czechia”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Denmark”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Estonia”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Finland”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “France”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Germany”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Greece”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Hungary”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Iceland”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Italy”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Latvia”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Liechtenstein”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Lithuania”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Luxembourg”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Malta”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Netherlands”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Norway”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Poland”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Portugal”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Romania”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Slovakia”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Slovenia”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Sweden”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” }, { name: “Switzerland”, status: “EES – From 2026”, note: “Set to implement the EES system, replacing passport stamps with biometric checks at self-service kiosks.” } ] }; const buildElement = (tag, options = {}) => { const el = document.createElement(tag); Object.entries(options).forEach(([key, value]) => { if (key === ‘listeners’) { Object.entries(value).forEach(([event, handler]) => el.addEventListener(event, handler)); } else { el[key] = value; } }); return el; }; const buildResultCard = (country) => { const card = buildElement(‘div’, { className: ‘result-card’ }); const title = buildElement(‘h4’, { textContent: country.name }); const note = buildElement(‘p’, { innerHTML: country.note }); // Use innerHTML to allow for tags const statusBadge = buildElement(‘span’, { className: ‘status-badge’, textContent: country.status }); if (country.status === ‘Already Required’) { statusBadge.classList.add(‘status-already’); } else if (country.status.includes(‘2025’)) { statusBadge.classList.add(‘status-2025’); } else { // EES – From 2026 statusBadge.classList.add(‘status-2026’); } card.append(title, note, statusBadge); return card; }; const renderTool = () => { mainContainer.innerHTML = ”; const title = buildElement(‘h2’, { innerHTML: ‘👆 Biometric Requirement Checker’ }); const description = buildElement(‘p’, { textContent: “Is your next destination on the list? Enter a country name to see its current or upcoming fingerprinting requirements for U.S. travelers.” }); const searchInput = buildElement(‘input’, { className: ‘search-input’, type: ‘text’, placeholder: ‘e.g., France, Japan, Spain…’ }); const resultsContainer = buildElement(‘div’, { id: ‘results-container’ }); const footer = buildElement(‘div’, { className: ‘top-tool-footer’, innerHTML: ‘Powered by Travel Off Path’ }); searchInput.addEventListener(‘input’, (e) => { const searchTerm = e.target.value.trim().toLowerCase(); resultsContainer.innerHTML = ”; if (!searchTerm) return; const filteredCountries = data.countries.filter(country => country.name.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm) ); if (filteredCountries.length > 0) { filteredCountries.forEach(country => { resultsContainer.appendChild(buildResultCard(country)); }); } else { const isExactMatchButNotListed = !data.countries.some(c => c.name.toLowerCase() === searchTerm); if (searchTerm.length > 3 && isExactMatchButNotListed) { const clearCard = buildElement(‘div’, { className: ‘result-card’ }); clearCard.innerHTML = `
✅ ${e.target.value.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + e.target.value.slice(1)}
This country is not on the list and has no announced biometric requirements for U.S. travelers at this time. No Requirement Listed`; resultsContainer.appendChild(clearCard); } else { const noResultsCard = buildElement(‘div’, { className: ‘result-card’ }); noResultsCard.innerHTML = `
🤔 No matching countries found on our list.`; resultsContainer.appendChild(noResultsCard); } } }); mainContainer.append(title, description, searchInput, resultsContainer, footer); }; renderTool(); }); ]]>
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