From 12 October 2025, the European Union will begin phasing in its long-anticipated Entry/Exit System (EES), replacing traditional passport stamps with biometric checks for non-EU travellers — including visitors from South Africa and the UK.
Photo by cottonbro studio/ Pexels
The system, designed to tighten border security while making future travel more efficient, will capture fingerprints and facial scans of travellers upon arrival. It will be introduced gradually over six months and is expected to be fully operational by April 2026, as previously reported by IOL.
Digital borders and biometric booths
Instead of having your passport manually stamped, the EES will digitally record personal information and biometric data at airports, ferry terminals, and train stations across the EU’s 27 member states.
Dedicated self-service booths will be set up to collect this data, which will remain valid for three years for short-stay visits of up to 90 days. While there’s no cost to register, submitting your biometric information is mandatory — and failure to do so means you won’t be allowed entry.
The EU says this system will reduce queues in the long term. Once your data is recorded, border crossings should become smoother thanks to automated e-gates.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed:
“Once the EES is in place, UK nationals will therefore be able to use e-gates where they are available, provided they are registered in the system.”
Early concerns about delays
Although designed to speed things up eventually, the initial rollout is expected to cause delays and longer queues, especially during busy travel seasons.
Airports and border points across Europe are still preparing the infrastructure, and travellers will need time to adjust to the new process. However, the EU insists that once the system is fully running and traveller data is stored, wait times will shrink.
What this means for South African travellers
If you’re a South African passport holder planning a European holiday, it’s essential to check ahead with your airline or travel agent to understand the new procedures at your first point of entry into the EU.
Although South Africans already require a Schengen visa, the EES will apply on top of existing visa checks — so even with your visa approved, you’ll still need to register your biometrics under the new system.
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