EES and ETIAS: Europe's Border Rules for Tour Travellers
Two acronyms now sit on every Europe tour's pre-departure notes, and only one of them is live.
As of October 2026, the Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operating at the external borders of 29 European countries, including Iceland, Italy and Greece, and replaces passport stamps with fingerprints and a face photo.
ETIAS, the 20-euro travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in operation and is taking no applications. This note explains both, who they apply to and what they change for a package tour.
Figures are from the European Union's official travel-europe.europa.eu pages, checked October 21, 2026.
EES is live at every external border since April 10, 2026
The EES FAQ states that the system was phased in across external borders over six months, a rollout that lasted until April 9, 2026. From April 10, 2026, it is fully operational at all external border crossing points of the countries using it.
The 29 countries listed are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Cyprus and Ireland are the exceptions inside the EU: the official page says passports there are still stamped by hand. That matters for anyone adding a Dublin stopover to a Europe itinerary.
Who EES applies to: any non-EU visitor on a short stay
The official page applies EES to non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, whether or not they need a visa. Non-EU means not holding the nationality of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Americans, Canadians, Australians and Britons are all covered.
A short stay is up to 90 days in any 180-day period, calculated as one period across all the countries using EES. A week in Iceland, a week in Italy and a week in Greece count as three weeks against the same allowance.
Exemptions listed include holders of residence permits and long-stay visas, nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and certain family members of EU citizens with residence cards.
What happens at the first border crossing
On a first crossing since EES started, the official page says passport control officers take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints, and record them in a digital file. The passport is not stamped.
Visa-exempt travellers have four fingerprints and a facial image stored; travellers with a short-stay visa have only the facial image, since fingerprints were taken with the visa. Children under 12 currently do not have fingerprints scanned.
Later crossings are quicker, because officers only verify the stored data. Holders of biometric passports can use self-service kiosks where available, but the FAQ is clear that non-biometric passports are still accepted and are not, in principle, a reason for refusal.
What EES changes for a package tour
The first registration adds time at the arrival airport, which matters on tours that schedule a coach transfer or a group activity soon after landing.
The official pages read for this note give no expected waiting times, so treat the first afternoon of a Europe tour as unpredictable.
- Iceland: allow for registration before the airport bus, covered in our Keflavik to Reykjavik bus guide.
- Multi-country tours: the 90-day count runs across every EES country, so long trips that combine Iceland, Italy and Greece need adding up.
- Late arrivals: if a delayed flight plus registration means missing the group transfer, read our note on when a tour goes wrong.
- Long-haul arrivals: a first-day plan built for the time difference helps, as our jet lag guide explains.
The EU also runs a Check how long you can stay tool on the same site. Questions about the remaining allowance go to the authorities of the country of last entry or exit.
ETIAS is not running yet, and costs 20 euros when it does
The official ETIAS site states, as of October 21, 2026, that ETIAS is currently not in operation and that no applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch.
When it starts, ETIAS will be an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries. The application fee is 20 euros, with some travellers exempt from paying. Most applications are expected to be processed within minutes, with a decision within four days.
That window can stretch to 14 more days if extra documents are requested, or 30 days if the applicant is invited to an interview. The official advice is to apply well before buying tickets or booking accommodation.
Once live, an ETIAS lasts three years and is tied to one passport
The official page says an ETIAS authorisation is valid for three years or until the passport used to apply expires, whichever comes first. A new passport needs a new ETIAS. It permits short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
The same page sets a passport rule worth checking now: the passport must be valid for three months after the intended departure from the countries requiring ETIAS. Time spent in Cyprus is counted separately from the other countries.
Ignore any site selling ETIAS today
Because ETIAS is not collecting applications, any website currently taking money for an ETIAS is not the official service. The official address sits on the europa.eu domain. Our guide to common tourist scams covers copycat government sites in more detail.
What to check before a Europe tour
- Passport valid for at least three months after leaving the Schengen area, and check the destination's own advice for longer rules.
- Days in Europe in the past 180 days, if a second trip is close to an earlier one.
- Arrival buffer on day one, for EES registration.
- Insurance that covers missed connections, as set out in our note on travel insurance for package tours.
- Destination specifics in our Iceland, Santorini and Amalfi Coast checklists.
Frequently asked
Do I need ETIAS to visit Iceland or Italy now?
No. The official ETIAS site says, as of October 21, 2026, that ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are collected. The EU will announce the start date several months ahead.
Will my passport still be stamped in Europe?
Not at external borders of the 29 EES countries. Since April 10, 2026, entries and exits are recorded electronically with fingerprints and a face photo. Cyprus and Ireland still stamp passports by hand.
Do children have to give fingerprints under EES?
Children under 12 currently do not have fingerprints scanned, per the official EES FAQ, though they are still registered in the system with other data.
How much will ETIAS cost?
20 euros, per the official ETIAS site, with some travellers exempt from the fee. The authorisation is valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
Bottom line
EES is live: expect fingerprints and a photo at your first European border and no passport stamp. ETIAS is not: do not pay anyone for it yet. Count your 90 days across every Schengen country on the tour, and leave a buffer on arrival day.
Sources checked
- European Union, What is the EES, travel-europe.europa.eu, checked October 21, 2026 (29 countries, non-EU definition, 90 in 180 days, Cyprus and Ireland stamping).
- EES FAQ, checked October 21, 2026 (phased start to April 9, 2026, full operation from April 10, 2026, biometric data stored, children under 12, biometric passports).
- How does the EES work and To whom does the EES not apply, checked October 21, 2026 (first crossing, self-service, exemptions).
- European Union, ETIAS home and What is ETIAS pages, checked October 21, 2026 (not in operation, 20-euro fee, processing times, three-year validity, passport rule).
Sources
- What is the EES – checked 2026-10-21
- FAQs about EES – checked 2026-10-21
- How does the EES work – checked 2026-10-21
- To whom does the EES not apply – checked 2026-10-21
- What is ETIAS – checked 2026-10-21