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Travellers without European passports will have to navigate a new system of entering border security, with the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) scheme starting on 12 October.
Non-EU nationals, including Australians, travelling in or out of the 29-country Schengen Area will need to register at borders and have a fingerprint scanned and a photo taken.
Through its Smartraveller platform, the Australian government has alerted to the change and warned there may be longer border queues.
Some countries have additional checks required — Belgium has introduced additional checks until December, which may be carried out on flights, buses, trains, motorway car parks or major roads leading into the country.
The European Union claims that the Entry/Exit System (EES) will streamline the travel process by replacing traditional passport stamps with a digital system that logs traveler entries and exits.
With improved access to traveller information, border and law enforcement agencies say they will be able to better deal with fake identities, overstayed visas and other security risks.
The system is expected to be in full operation in April 2026.
This marks a projected 10 per cent increase compared to 2024, which it says is based on early trends in hotel and airline bookings.
Having left the European Union, the United Kingdom is not included in the Schengen Area.
