EU border agency Frontex has announced that the mobile application developed to ease Entry-Exit System (EES) border checks will go live for the first time in Sweden’s Arlanda Airport this year.
The “Travel to Europe” app allows non-EU travelers to pre-register their travel documents and facial images before arriving at a border crossing point. The app is voluntary to use for both travelers and EU member states.
Frontex is also planning a pilot program at major entry points in the Netherlands, France and Italy in 2026. Portugal and Greece have also expressed interest in using the app.
While the pre-registration app may not be for every border crossing point, big travel hubs will see a clear value in it, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Uku Särekanno said last week.
“The app is ready to be used with the start of the EES in the coming autumn,” says Särekanno. “Frontex has done its part, developed a scalable and secure app. Now it is up to every Member State to integrate the app with its national systems.”
The app was previously referred to by the name “QuickBorder” while a prototype was tested at Arlanda, Sweden and Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Inverid and its face biometrics and liveness detection partner, iProov are among the companies developing the app.
The app was designed to help travelers tackle the EES. The upcoming traveler registration system will digitally record passport data, fingerprints and face biometrics and dates of entry and exit of non-EU nationals crossing the EU’s external border, eventually replacing the manual stamping of passports.
After several postponed rollouts, European authorities reached an agreement to introduce the EES over 180 days to avoid a simultaneous launch in all countries that could cause long queues and technical issues.
The system is expected to begin working in October 2025, although the exact date is still unknown.
European authorities have agreed to a draft regulation on the phased rollout. Adoption is expected in July, while the regulation will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU’s official journal. The European Commission will then announce the start date.
Individual states will be able to decide when to implement the new travel regime and which border crossings are ready for the new technology.
Following the EES, the EU is also planning to roll out the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which requires visitors to the bloc to apply for entry authorization and pay a seven-euro (US$7.60) fee.
Article Topics
biometrics | border security | digital ID | Entry/Exit System (EES) | Europe | Frontex | mobile app | Travel to Europe