New travel rules for Europe: What UAE residents should know about ETIAS and EES

Dubai: If you are a UAE resident who travels to Europe for holidays, business, or to visit family, it is worth knowing that travel procedures are set to change in the coming years. While these changes won’t affect your plans just yet, the European Union is preparing to launch two new systems - the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the Entry/Exit System (EES) that will impact how travellers enter and move through Europe.

The European Union is preparing for the launch of two new border management initiatives that will affect travel to Europe: the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the Entry/Exit Systems (EES). How will travel rules change and how are these two systems different?

What is ETIAS and who needs it?

ETIAS is a new entry requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. These include the 29 countries belonging to the Schengen Area as well as Cyprus. With ETIAS, visa-free travellers will need to apply for a travel authorisation before starting their trip. ETIAS is not a visa, and its introduction does not modify the visa-free status of travellers.

What is the EES and how does it work?

The EES will register visa-free and visa-required travellers entering Europe for a short stay. No action will be required from travellers before they start their trip, as registration will be done at the external border of any of the 29 European countries using the system. The countries in question are the 29 Schengen countries. Registration on the EES will be done every time travellers cross external borders and will replace the manual stamping of passports.

What information will be collected?

When applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers will need to provide their personal information, including address, passport details, current occupation, and information about past travel to conflict zones or criminal convictions. No biometric data, such as fingerprints, is collected with ETIAS.

The EES, on the other hand, will collect travellers’ facial image and fingerprints. It will also collect travel document data as well as the date and place where the traveller entered and exited the territory of European countries using the system.

When will these systems be introduced?

Travellers will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation well in advance of starting their trip to Europe, whereas registration with the EES occurs at the external border of the 29 countries using the system.

ETIAS and the EES will not be launched at the same time. The EES will become operational first and is expected to become operational in October 2025. ETIAS will follow a few months after. It is expected to come into effect in the last quarter of 2026.

The exact dates will be announced by the EU later this year.