EU’s New Border System Will Fingerprint US Visitors

A new Entry/Exit System (EES) is being adopted by several European countries to modernize border management, combat identity fraud and improve security, according to the European Union’s website.

These are all the 29 countries that will be rolling out the new system:

• 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
• Switzerland

The new rules apply to all travelers from outside the Schengen Area, which is a zone of European countries where people can move freely without border checks.

Most of the 29 countries adopting the system are in the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. EU countries Cyprus and Ireland—which are not in the Schengen area—will not implement it.

The personal data collected will generally be stored for around three years, including records of refused entries. For those for whom no exit is recorded, the data will be kept for five years.

Children under the age of 12 will not have their fingerprints taken.

Americans visiting countries in the Schengen Area can stay for up to 90 days over a 180-day period. For longer stays, a visa is required.