Last Updated on 14 July 2025 by Johan
Europe is revolutionizing how travelers enter the Schengen Area. Beginning October 2025, a new Entry/Exit System (EES) will replace manual passport stamping at the borders of 29 European countries — a shift with significant implications for tourists from Asia and beyond. Here’s what travelers need to know, and what this means for the future of European travel.
No More Passport Stamps — Say Hello to Biometrics
The EES introduces a fully digital border control system. Upon arrival at any Schengen external border — including airports and land crossings — travelers will be logged using:
- Facial recognition
- Fingerprints
- Passport data, including entry and exit dates and location
Once registered at the point of entry, visitors can move freely within the Schengen Area. Upon departure, they’ll be logged again. This system is designed to:
- Detect overstays beyond the allowed 90 days in any 180-day period
- Reduce identity fraud
- Speed up border processing
Coming in 2026: ETIAS Pre-Travel Authorization
In 2026, Europe will also launch ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), an online pre-screening tool for travelers from visa-exempt countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. It’s not a visa, but a mandatory registration that includes:
- Personal and passport details
- Employment information
- Disclosures of travel to conflict zones or any criminal record
No biometric data is collected at this stage. Once approved, ETIAS is valid for three years or until the passport expires, and covers multiple short-stay trips.
What About Non-Visa-Exempt Travelers?
Travelers from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines — who still require Schengen visas — must continue using traditional visa application channels via VFS Global or national embassies. ETIAS does not replace this requirement.
However, once these travelers arrive in Europe, they’ll be registered in the EES — just like everyone else — using facial and fingerprint scans, eliminating passport stamps altogether.
Future of Travel: Faster, Smarter, Safer
With both EES and ETIAS, Europe aims to create a seamless and secure travel experience. The shift to digital means faster border crossings and better tracking, allowing for easier enforcement of immigration rules — without sacrificing convenience for travelers.
For tourism operators and frequent flyers, this change signals a broader transformation. Expect more digital integration across airports, simplified paperwork for short stays, and perhaps a globally coordinated approach to border security in years to come.
Source:
- ScandAsia – Europe rolls out new entry rules for Asian travellers
- EU Travel Portal: travel-europe.europa.eu/ees