I am travelling to the EU on or after 12 October. What is changing?

All you need to know about handling the Schengen area entry-exit system
By Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent (The Independent)

From 12 October 2025, the European Union will roll out a new Entry-Exit System (EES) for “third-country nationals” (non-EU citizens, including UK passport holders).
The EES links all border crossings into the Schengen area (airports, sea, rail, road) with a central database, to enforce the rule that third-country nationals may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen zone.

On your first crossing under the system, you’ll register via a kiosk: it collects your passport photo, fingerprints (unless under 12), and facial biometric, creating a digital record.
On subsequent crossings, your facial biometric will be checked against the stored record, either via a kiosk or an eGate (if adapted for non-EU travellers).
The digital record remains valid for three years. Each new crossing refreshes the validity. If no crossing occurs for three years, re-registration is needed.
If you renew your passport, the system should update your record automatically — you should not need to re-register purely because of a passport change.

First day visibility minimal: during a transition period of 180 days (12 Oct 2025 – 9 April 2026), member states are only required to implement EES in a limited way. Only some travellers will use it initially.
Traditional passport stamping/checks will continue alongside the EES in that period.
No advance registration needed — the system is an additional check at the border, not a pre-travel process (unlike the forthcoming ETIAS visa).

EU citizens: Exempt from the system; they will pass through special lanes where only a glance at the passport is needed.
Medical/travel insurance: The kiosks may ask if you have medical insurance (e.g. in the Eurostar terminal), but the UK government says it will not be mandatory under EES.
Cruise passengers: If the cruise starts and ends in the UK (entirely outside Schengen), EES checks generally won’t apply. If you board or leave in a Schengen port, the checks apply there.