The European Commission has now officially confirmed that the long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES) will launch on 12 October 2025, with all Schengen Member States required to achieve full implementation by April 2026. This milestone marks the most significant shift in EU border management in decades, designed to modernise border control, reduce overstays, and strengthen migration security.
The EES introduction is expected to put unprecedented pressure on airports, ports, and carriers. The requirement for biographic and biometric registration at border control points will of course slow down traveller flows, particularly during peak periods, as travellers and staff alike adjust to the new rules. Infrastructure readiness, staffing constraints, and the complexity of deploying biometric systems at land and sea borders compound these concerns risking queues and traveller experience.
Why Mobile Pre-Registration is the Key to Success
To prevent bottlenecks and maintain smooth travel experiences, Member States must take full advantage of remote pre-registration through remote identity verification. By allowing third-country nationals (TCNs) to complete identity verification and provide travel details before arrival, queues can be dramatically reduced at border control points. Frontex has provided the “Travel to Europe” app to support Member States in this process. How does that work?
Modern smartphones, equipped with NFC technology, make this possible. Most passports today include an ICAO 9303-compliant chip, which can be read securely via NFC. This enables:
- 100% correct information reading from identity documents – NFC chip reading confirms the authenticity of the document at a cryptographic level, eliminating errors common with optical scans.
- High-quality facial image extraction – The original high-resolution facial image can be extracted from the chip and used for biometric holder verification.
- No need for costly kiosks – Any smartphone can serve as a secure “mini-kiosk,” providing convenience for travellers and cost savings for border management and carriers.
PROVEN IN PRACTICE
This is not theory. ReadID’s NFC identity verification has already powered large-scale identity verification programmes such as the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme and Eurostar’s SmartCheck. More recently, the APP4EES pilot (run with Frontex, the Swedish Police, airlines, and Arlanda Airport) demonstrated how NFC-based mobile enrolment can reduce border congestion and improve passenger satisfaction.
Frontex has since provided the “Travel to Europe” app, based on the same technology stack. Member States that adopt this app or integrate similar NFC-based verification solutions for redundancy purposes will be best positioned to deliver against EES requirements without overwhelming their border control points and angering travellers with queues and last minute additional processes.
Now is the Time to Act
With the EES launch date now set in stone, Member States cannot afford to delay. Remote NFC identity verification offers:
- Reduced congestion at border control points.
- Improved traveller experience, encouraging compliance and boosting confidence in EU travel.
- Enhanced security, with cryptographically verified identities and robust biometric checks.
- Scalability, ready for millions of verifications without compromising reliability, entirely automated.
The technology is mature, secure, and proven at scale. Adoption does not replace border checks, but it will dramatically ease pressure on border infrastructure and border officers allowing focus on higher-risk cases.
Ports, carriers and other industry stakeholders must ensure that Member State’ border authorities have their implementation plans for the Travel to Europe app for EES in place. There is a proven secure solution in ReadID, ready to use, either within the Travel to Europe app or as an additional functionality that can be sourced by Member States direct.
