Non-European Union citizens travelling to countries in Europe’s Schengen area – within which physical borders between member countries have been removed – will soon have to use a new automated biometric system that is set to replace usual passport procedures.The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) will be rolled out on Sunday, October 12 and will apply to 29 countries in the Schengen area. The EU expects EES to be fully functional by April 10 next year.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHere’s what we know about the EES and who it is going to affect:What is the EES, and who will it apply to?The EES is a digital border check system which will keep track of non-EU citizens who enter and exit Europe’s Schengen zone – an area composed of 25 EU members and four non-EU nations which guarantees freedom of movement with no internal border checks.According to the EU, the EES will apply to those making short-stay journeys into the Schengen zone. A non-EU traveller is someone who does not hold EU nationality or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.Short-stay Schengen visas are issued to people staying in the zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.Citizens from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and others who normally do not need a visa for short stays in the Schengen zone will, however, also be subject to EES.The EES will not a …
