From next year, Britons heading for Mallorca, and elsewhere in the Schengen area, will have to comply with the new EES (Entry Exit System) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) which are automated computerised systems for recording and checking the personal data of nationals of non-EU countries crossing the external borders of the Schengen area.
The EES (Entry Exit System) is a new automated system for registering data on non-EU nationals entering the Schengen area.
The ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is a new prerequisite for travellers exempt from the short-stay visa requirement to enter European territory.
Neither of the two systems is currently operational. They are scheduled to become operational in 2024 and 2025.
These European initiatives are part of a package of measures aimed at improving the management of the external borders of the Schengen Member States.
These future automated systems aim to improve the efficiency and reliability of controls at the external borders of the Schengen area, enabling Member States and EU agencies to ensure a better exchange of information in order to combat cross-border crime and terrorism and to achieve more effective border management, in the framework of the strictest respect for fundamental rights and European legislation on the protection of personal data.
The EES is an automated system for the digital collection of personal data of non-EU nationals, whether or not they are subject to a visa requirement, to be carried out on entry into and exit from the Schengen area.
In particular, the EES replaces the manual stamping of third-country nationals’ passports and will allow for electronic checks on the entry, exit, refusal of entry and duration of stay of non-EU nationals crossing the external borders of the Schengen area for a short stay (up to 90 days during a period of 180 days).
It is intended for nationals of non-EU countries, subject to the short-stay visa requirement and the ETIAS, who make a short stay (up to 90 days during a period of 180 days) on the territory of a Schengen Member State.
What personal data will be recorded?
Date and time of entry and exit
Place of entry and exit
Surname(s) and forename(s) of
the national
National’s passport number
Photograph of the national
Fingerprint of the national
It shall also record any refusal of entry for a short stay.
The ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is a new prerequisite for travellers exempt from the short-stay visa requirement to enter European territory.
ETIAS is a travel authorisation, not a visa, established by the European Commission. It will be required by the 30 Member States of the enlarged Schengen area. It is scheduled to enter into service in 2025.
It is a fully electronic system, similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in the United States, which aims to strengthen controls on foreign travellers in the European Union, with the objective of detecting potential threats.
Who is it aimed at?
The ETIAS will be aimed at nationals of some 60 non-EU countries who benefit from a short-stay visa waiver for travel to the enlarged Schengen area.
This travel authorisation will have a maximum duration of 90 days. The authorisation will be valid for three years, for multiple entries, or until the expiry date of the validity of the travel document used to make the application.
The application will be made online by completing a simple form. The travel authorisation will, in principle, be issued within a maximum period of 96 hours from the date of application and payment of a €7 fee. If further investigation is necessary, this processing period may be extended.
It should be noted that third country nationals under the age of 18 and over the age of 70, family members of European nationals and third country nationals who have the right to move freely within the European Union will not be required to pay the tax.