The European Union is set to begin mandatory fingerprint and facial recognition checks for non-EU travelers under its new Entry and Exit System (EES) starting October 12, 2025.

According to the European Commission, the rollout will commence gradually across airports and land borders before becoming fully operational by April 10, 2026.

The EES is an automated platform designed to track the movements of non-EU nationals on short stays each time they cross the external borders of participating countries, including France, Spain, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

The system will apply to all non-EU visitors permitted to stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Children under the age of 12 will be exempt from fingerprinting.

The EU explained that the new digital system will replace traditional passport stamping, automatically recording travelers’ entry and exit data. This move is expected to streamline border checks, reduce waiting times, and improve efficiency through the use of self-service kiosks and pre-submission options.

Officials said the initiative aims to modernize border management, combat identity fraud, and monitor visa overstays more effectively.

Biometric and personal information collected will be retained for up to three years but will not be shared with third parties.

The introduction of this system is expected to tighten border enforcement, meaning overstaying could lead to penalties such as entry bans, visa denials, fines, or deportation for Nigerian travelers and other non-EU nationals.

Originally announced in 2023, the EES was first slated for a 2024 launch before being postponed to the new date.