EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and School Trips

The EU Entry/Exit System is now live at every external Schengen border. If you are taking a group to Europe, it changes what happens when you arrive, how long the border takes, and what you need to tell parents before you go.

Here is where things stand, and what it means for your trip.

Where things stand right now

EES started rolling out on 12 October 2025 and became fully operational on 10 April 2026. It now applies at land, sea and air borders across all 29 countries using the system.

That is every EU country except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Trips to Ireland are unaffected.

ETIAS, the separate pre-travel authorisation, is not live. There is currently no confirmed start date, and no applications are being taken. More on that below.

What EES actually does

It replaces the passport stamp with a digital record. On your group's first crossing after the system went live, each person is registered at the border: passport scanned, facial image taken, and fingerprints for anyone aged 12 or over.

That record lasts three years, or until the passport expires. On later trips within that window the process is quicker, usually a passport scan plus one biometric check.

There is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. Registration happens at the border.

Pupils under 12

Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. They still have a facial image taken and a record created, so they are not exempt from the process, just from one part of it.

Who does not need to register

• Irish passport holders
• Anyone holding an EU or EEA passport
• British passport holders with residency in an EU country

On a typical group this means a handful of pupils or staff will go through a different lane. Worth identifying them before you travel rather than at the border.

What it means for your group at the border

The honest answer is that it depends on where you are crossing and how busy it is. Registration itself takes a minute or two per person. With 45 pupils and 5 staff, that adds up.

Through summer 2026 there have been substantial queues at some airports, and airlines and airport bodies have asked the European Commission for the power to pause checks at peak times. Countries do have limited flexibility to ease or suspend EES temporarily to manage congestion, so what your group experiences may vary from one crossing to the next.

Travelling by air

Registration happens on arrival at your destination airport, at kiosks before passport control. Build in extra time for the transfer and anything scheduled for that first afternoon.

Travelling by Eurostar

Checks happen at St Pancras before you board, so fingerprints and photos are taken in the UK. Arrive earlier than you would have done previously.

Travelling by ferry or Le Shuttle

Same principle. Registration takes place at Dover or Folkestone on the UK side, before you cross. You will not need to repeat it on arrival in France.

What we do, and what stays with you

We build the extra border time into your itinerary, so the first day is not planned as though nothing has changed. We flag the crossing points that have been slowest and adjust timings where it makes a difference. Your trip documents include the practical detail your group needs on the day.

What stays with you:

• Checking passport validity across the whole group, including staff
• Telling parents what will happen at the border and why biometric data is being taken
• Identifying anyone who is exempt or who holds a non-UK passport
• Preparing pupils for the questions they may be asked

Passports

Passport rules have not changed under EES, but the digital record is tied to the passport, so it is worth being strict about them.

• Issued within the last 10 years on the date you enter
• Valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area
• In good enough condition to scan

If a pupil renews their passport, their EES record does not carry over. They will be registered again from scratch on the next crossing.

Questions at the border

Alongside registration, travellers can be asked about the purpose and length of their stay, where they are staying, whether they have return travel, and whether they have funds and insurance.

For a school group the answers are all in the paperwork you are already carrying. There is no single standard list of questions and it varies by country, so this is a case of pupils knowing that a question may come rather than rehearsing a script.

Worth telling your group: the trip is booked and paid for in advance, accommodation and return travel are confirmed in the itinerary, and insurance details are in the trip documents. Any pupil asked can say so honestly.

ETIAS: not yet, and no date

ETIAS is a separate scheme. It is a pre-travel authorisation, applied for online before you leave, similar to the American ESTA. It is not a visa and it involves no biometric data.

It is not in operation. The European Union removed its previous target of late 2026 and has not replaced it with a new date. The official position is that no applications are being collected, and that several months' notice will be given before it starts.

What is known about how it will work when it does arrive:

• The fee is set at 20 euros, raised from the original 7 euros
• Under 18s are exempt from the fee, though they still need an authorisation
• It will be valid for three years, or until the passport expires
• There will be a transitional period of at least six months after launch, during which travellers without one will not be turned away if they meet all other entry conditions

For trips being planned now, there is nothing to apply for. Any website currently offering ETIAS applications is not legitimate.

Common questions

Can we register the group before we travel?

Not reliably. There is an official Travel to Europe app that allows some details to be submitted in advance, but it is not operating for most countries yet. Plan on registering at the border.

Does every pupil need to be there in person?

Yes. Biometric registration is individual and cannot be done on someone else's behalf.

What happens if a pupil refuses?

Refusing to give biometric data means being refused entry. This is worth raising with parents early, particularly if you expect any concerns about how the data is used.

How long is the data kept?

Three years from the last exit, or until the passport expires.

Does this affect trips to Ireland?

No. Ireland is outside the system, along with Cyprus.

Does the 90 day limit affect a school trip?

Not in practice. The limit is 90 days in any rolling 180, and the system now tracks it automatically. A week in Berlin does not come close, though it is worth knowing if a pupil has travelled to Europe several times in the same period.

Planning a trip to Europe

EES is now part of every European school trip, and it is one more thing to hold in your head alongside everything else. We build the border time into the itinerary and give your group what it needs on the day.

Talk to us about your trip and we will tell you honestly what to expect at the crossing you are using.