Latest legislative developments – Home Conseil Immigration – October 2025
The European Union is implementing two new systems to strengthen security and modernize the management of entries and exits within the Schengen area: the EES and ETIAS.
Home Conseil Relocation provides a summary of what this entails for international mobility.
The European Entry/Exit System (EES)
The Entry/Exit System (EES), operational since October 12, 2025, is being gradually deployed at border crossing points (airports, train stations, and ports) and will be fully operational by April 10, 2026. It applies to travellers staying less than 3 months in a Schengen member state, including France.
For individuals requiring a short-stay visa as well as those exempt from a visa, travellers will be registered upon arrival. The system allows for:
- Replacing the manual passport stamp with digital registration,
- Automating the calculation of the length of stay (maximum 90 days within 180 days),
- Monitoring in real time any overstays beyond the allowed period.
The data collected includes:
- Travel document information,
- Biometric data (fingerprints and photograph),
- If applicable, information from the Visa Information System (VIS) or ETIAS.
If a traveller refuses to provide biometric data, entry into the territory will be denied.
Data retention periods:
- Information related to each entry, exit, or refusal of entry is kept for 3 years.
- The traveller’s complete file is retained for 3 years and 1 day after the last exit or refusal of entry.
- If no exit is recorded, the data is retained for 5 years after the expiration of the authorized stay.
Checking the validity of your stay: To avoid exceeding your maximum allowed stay, it is important to consult your remaining quota via the EES Self-Service website or the equipment available at the borders.
In case of an overstay, you will be added to the list of persons who have exceeded their allowed stay, which can be accessed by the competent authorities. This may have significant consequences on the possibility of future stays and future visa applications.
It should be noted that regularization is possible if you can justify an overstay due to unforeseeable and serious circumstances.
For stays longer than 3 months, a long-stay visa or residence permit remains mandatory. In this case, registration in the EES is not required.
In practice, travelers will no longer be able to rely on “tolerance” or the inattention of border officers, for example for spouses of Europeans awaiting their residence permit.
The ETIAS system
Planned for the last quarter of 2026, ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) will be an electronic travel authorization, similar to the U.S. ESTA or the U.K. ETA.
Visa-exempt travellers will need to apply online before traveling to an EU member state (excluding Ireland) or an associated Schengen country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).
Our Immigration Department remains available for any additional information regarding the impact of these two systems.
Source :
diplomatie.gouv.fr – Mise en place des systèmes EES et ETIAS
https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F39254
https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F39104
