The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational at the Schengen external border since 10 April 2026. Beyond replacing passport stamping, its implementation marks another stage in the development of Europe’s digital mobility infrastructure, where border and visa systems are increasingly connected.
EES at operational scale
EES is designed to register non-EU nationals travelling for short stays, recording travel document details, entries and exits, refusals of entry and biometric data including fingerprints and facial images. By August 2026, the system had registered more than 150 million entries and exits, according to the European Commission.
The 2026 State of Schengen Report describes the EES as operating efficiently overall. It also records differences in implementation between Member States, including challenges relating to self-service infrastructure, biometric registration capacity and congestion at certain times. The Commission identifies automation, infrastructure, equipment, staffing, flow management and training among the areas supporting further optimisation.
These observations provide an indication of the operational dimension of digital border transformation: the effectiveness of a system at scale depends on the interaction between technology, infrastructure and frontline processes.
A more connected information architecture
EES forms part of a wider EU information architecture. The European Commission’s interoperability framework brings together systems including EES and the Visa Information System (VIS), supported by common components such as the European Search Portal (ESP), Shared Biometric Matching Service (sBMS), Common Identity Repository (CIR) and Multiple-Identity Detector (MID).
The objective is not to create one single system. The individual systems retain their respective legal bases and access rules, while interoperability enables them to complement one another and facilitates information sharing, identification and data quality.
The EES-VIS relationship is one practical example. Under the EES Regulation, border authorities using EES can retrieve relevant visa data from VIS. Where fingerprints are used to verify the identity of a visa holder, they can be compared against fingerprints recorded in VIS. This creates an operational link between systems supporting different stages of the mobility journey.
Biometrics across the mobility journey
Biometrics make the connection particularly visible. The Visa Information System (VIS) records biometric data collected as part of the visa application process, including fingerprints and a digital photograph. These data can subsequently support identity verification at the external border through the interoperability between VIS and EES.
This creates a link between biometric enrolment during the visa process and identity verification at the external border. It places greater emphasis on the quality, consistency and security of the processes supporting biometric enrolment.
As Arnaud Lefebvre, Chief Operating Officer, adds:
“As biometric and identity systems become increasingly connected, consistency at each stage becomes more important. Equipment, capture procedures, staff training and quality controls all contribute to the reliability of biometric data throughout the mobility journey.”
The operational dimension of interoperability
The development of EES and the wider interoperability framework points to a shift in the way digital mobility infrastructure is being developed.
Interoperability is not limited to connecting databases. The EU framework itself incorporates requirements around data quality, technical and operational implementation, security and data protection. It also introduces shared components for searching information and supporting biometric matching and identity management across systems.
For organisations operating across the mobility journey, this makes consistency between systems and processes increasingly significant. Visa application centres, consular authorities, border authorities and technology infrastructure may have different responsibilities, but the information and processes they manage can increasingly interact.
The result is a mobility environment in which data quality, biometric processes, security and operational continuity are becoming connected considerations rather than isolated ones.
EES is an important milestone in Europe’s digital border infrastructure, but its wider significance lies in how it connects with existing systems such as VIS. As interoperability develops, the different stages of the mobility journey are becoming more closely linked, bringing greater attention to the quality, security and consistency of the processes that connect them. For governments preparing for the rollout of ETIAS and further developments in European mobility, this increasingly connected architecture will be an important feature of future mobility infrastructure.
Article written by
Arnaud Lefebvre, Chief Operating Officer