ETIAS and EES Explained: Europe's New Border Rules in 2026

People often mix up the two new European systems because they were planned together. They do different jobs. EES records you at the border every time you enter or leave. ETIAS will be a permission you get online before you travel, but only if your passport does not need a visa.

One is already part of every trip to Europe. The other is still waiting for a start date.

EES is a computer system that records non EU travellers who come for a short stay. The first time you cross an external border after the start, an officer or a self service kiosk takes your fingerprints and a photo of your face and scans your passport. After that, each entry and exit is recorded with the date and place.

The system started step by step on 12 October 2025 and became fully operational at all external borders on 10 April 2026. Since then officers no longer stamp your passport. The record also counts your days, so it is much harder to overstay the 90 days in any 180 day rule by mistake, and much easier for officers to see if you did.

EES is free and you do not apply for it. It also records refusals of entry. It does not apply to people with an EU residence permit or a long stay national visa.

Expect longer queues the first time you enter after the change, while your fingerprints and photo are taken. Leave extra time for connecting flights.

ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. Once it starts, visa free visitors, for example from the US, the UK, Canada, Japan or the UAE, will fill in an online form before travelling to 30 European countries. The fee has been set at EUR 20, raised from the EUR 7 first planned.

The European Commission says ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected. It says the start date will be announced several months before launch. Older pages and news stories gave dates in 2025 and 2026 that have all passed or been dropped, so do not rely on any date you read online.

When it does start, the EU says most applications should be answered within minutes, some may take up to 4 days, and a few can take longer if more information or an interview is needed. An ETIAS will be valid for 3 years or until the passport expires, for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days.

There is no ETIAS to buy today. Sites that already sell ETIAS applications, or ask for a deposit, are not the EU. The only official source is europa.eu.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India, Russia and Türkiye need a Schengen visa for a short trip to Europe. ETIAS will not change that: it is only for nationalities that are already visa free. You will keep applying for a visa at a consulate or visa centre.

EES does apply to you. With a Schengen visa you give fingerprints for the visa and again at the border, and from April 2026 the border record replaces the stamps you used to collect. Keep your boarding passes and hotel bookings anyway, because officers can still ask what you are doing and where you stay.

See the destination lists for Azerbaijani, Pakistani, Indian, Russian and Turkish passports, and our post on the Schengen visa for Azerbaijani citizens.

Many foreigners in Baku hold passports that are visa free for Europe, for example British, American, Canadian, Korean or Gulf passports. Turkish and Russian passports are not visa free, so their holders still need a Schengen visa. For you, ETIAS will matter once it starts. Until then, you travel to Europe with your passport only, and EES records you at the border.

Your Azerbaijani residence permit does not change the rules for Europe. What matters is the passport you travel on.

Short stays in the Schengen area are limited to 90 days in any 180 day period. The count is rolling: on any day, look back 180 days and add up every day you spent inside. If the total is over 90, you are overstaying.

EES now does this count automatically. If you travel to Europe often, keep a simple list of your entry and exit dates. Sroky's reminders can help you track deadlines for your own permits and passports.