If you like to collect passport stamps, Europe may not be the place for you in the near future.
According to Travel and Leisure, the European Union will implement Entry/Exit System (EES), a new high-tech scanning system that will replace stamping passports upon arrival.
EES is a digital platform that runs off collecting biometric data–face and fingerprint scans. However, travelers who refuse to provide the biometric data required for the screening will be denied entry into the country.
The system is undergoing development and has a launch expectation of 2024, but it may start as early as this year. The rollout is dependent on countries’ willingness to participate, an EU representative told the outlet.
The countries that are expected to participate in the new system include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
“The main advantage of the EES is saving time,” the program’s website shares. “The EES replaces passport stamping and automates border control procedures, making traveling to European countries using the EES more efficient for the traveler.”
The EES program will run with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System program that now requires foreign travelers to Europe to pay $7.42 to enter.
Data gathered from both programs will work together to identify a traveler’s potential risk, the EU.
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