{"id":556446,"date":"2025-11-08T03:37:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T03:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/556446\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T03:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T03:37:14","slug":"new-eu-border-checks-for-spain-portugal-greece-and-more-with-exceptions-and-90-day-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/556446\/","title":{"rendered":"New EU border checks for Spain, Portugal, Greece and more with ‘exceptions’ and ’90-day rule’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new system involves having a photo and fingerprints taken\"AA person uses an EES kiosk(Image: Lucy North\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n

With the Entry\/Exit System (EES) rollout across European countries starting in October 2025, travellers are being urged to do their research and allow plenty of time at the airport. The system is being brought in gradually, meaning some travellers will have already experienced it, while others will not.<\/p>\n

Paul Paddock, CEO of Post Office Insurance at Post Office<\/a>, has answered four key questions around the new system to help Brits travel with confidence.<\/p>\n

What is the EES?<\/p>\n

Paul said: “The Entry\/Exit System (EES) is a new digital border control system for non-EU nationals entering the Schengen Area<\/a> for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period). It replaces manual passport stamping with electronic registration, improving border security and efficiency.<\/p>\n

“Brits travelling to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece will now need to be prepared to have their passports scanned and biometric data taken at border control the first time they enter.”<\/p>\n

What data is being collected and for how long?<\/p>\n

Paul said that biometric data, including your facial image (all travellers) and fingerprints (visa-exempt travellers only), will be taken. The system will also be able to capture passport details, entry and exit dates and locations, and the duration of stay. Data will be kept for three years for standard entries\/exits or five years if you overstay.<\/p>\n

Are there any exemptions to the EES?<\/p>\n

Paul said: “The EES does not apply to EU\/EEA\/Swiss citizens, non-EU nationals with specific residence permits and Monaco, Andorra, San Marino and Vatican nationals. Ireland and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen area where the system applies, so UK nationals travelling there will continue to be checked and stamped manually. Children under 12 will only have their facial image taken, not their fingerprints.”<\/p>\n

How does EES work?<\/p>\n

Paul said: “Travellers entering for the first time will undergo biometric registration at border kiosks or e-gates. This includes the system capturing a facial image, fingerprints (if visa-exempt), passport details and entry\/exit information.<\/p>\n

“For subsequent visits, the process will be faster due to the data already being stored. It\u2019s important to note that no pre-registration is required \u2013 registration happens at the border during your first entry.<\/p>\n

“Passengers may be impacted by facing longer queues initially due to biometric data collection, a process expected to take several minutes per person. Passengers should be encouraged to plan contingency options if travelling on a tight schedule (alternative routes or transport), as any teething problems or incomplete information could cause delays to miss flights, ferries, or connections.”<\/p>\n

Preparing for EES border checks<\/p>\n

Paul recommends a checklist:<\/p>\n

1. Check your passport expiry date (must be valid for at least 3 months after your trip for EU countries<\/a> and be less than 10 years old)<\/p>\n

2. Know your entry airport\u2019s EES setup (expect biometric checks)<\/p>\n

3. Keep essential travel documents easily accessible, including passports, travel insurance, accommodation confirmation, and proof of onward or return travel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new system involves having a photo and fingerprints takenA person uses an EES kiosk(Image: Lucy North\/PA Wire)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556447,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[2000,299,1699,3040,104,183],"class_list":{"0":"post-556446","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-european-union","11":"tag-royal-mail","12":"tag-spain","13":"tag-travel"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115511994151932912","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}