European Union: European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and Entry/Exit System (EES) Launch Delayed

UPDATE DECEMBER 10, 2024: EU authorities have officially announced a progressive introduction for the EES over a 180-day period. Initially, only a small percentage of border crossings will need to be registered via EES. This will increase over time before eventually reaching 100% at the end of the 180-day introduction period. Additionally, requirements to obtain biometric data at border crossings will be progressively introduced over this same period. Despite this latest update, the commencement date for this program remains unclear.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 14, 2024: An official EU website on the EES now states that the system “is due to start in 2025”. However, this update does not provide further clarification regarding when in 2025 the system will commence.

UPDATED OCTOBER 11, 2024: The EU Home Affairs Commissioner confirmed on October 10, 2024 that the November 10, 2024 commencement date for the EES was no longer viable. France, Germany and the Netherlands had announced in September that they did not expect to have their EES systems functioning by the November deadline. There is likely to be a phased implementation of the system, with further details to be provided in the coming weeks. Separately, the provisional commencement date for ETIAS remains Q2 2025. We will continue to monitor developments. 

UPDATED AUGUST 20, 2024: The official commencement date for the Entry/Exit System has been confirmed as November 10, 2024. The provisional commencement date for ETIAS remains Q2 2025. 

UPDATED OCTOBER 20, 2023: On October 19, 2023, the European Council stated that the Entry/Exit System is expected to be in operation by Q4 2024; while the commencement date for ETIAS has been revised to Q2 2025.

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 22, 2023: On September 21, 2023, press reports citing EU officials announced that ETIAS will be postponed until May 2025, with a possibility for further delays. EU authorities, however, have not released an official statement on the issue. Further details, including an updated timeline regarding ETIAS implementation, may emerge from the Ministerial meetings and the European Council in October 2023.  Press reports state that the delay is due to the EES not yet being ready. The EES – a system of interconnected e-gates at Schengen external borders – is considered a prerequisite for the commencement of ETIAS. The scheduled launch of ETIAS has already suffered repeated delays. We will continue to monitor this development and provide further details when available.

UPDATED MARCH 16, 2023: Following a meeting of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (EU-Lisa), the EES will not be operational in 2023.

According to a statement on the EU Commission’s Migration and Home Affairs’ website, due to the delay of the Entry/Exit system until the end of 2023, the implementation of ETIAS has been delayed until 2024, up from the most recently scheduled launch of November 2023. This is due to the fact that ETIAS cannot function without the EES system in place first. We will report on related developments.