New EU EES (Entry / Exit System) Starts Today – We attempt to check it out!

The much delayed EU EES (Entry / Exit System) starts today with a “soft launch” (it can be suspended if there are issues ) and is designed to track access of non-EU citizens access to the 29 countries in the Shengen area. Ultimately it will make travel easier and enhance security.

An initial one-off registration is required with photographs and finger prints taken, either at an automated kiosk or by Border Control.

Concerns about travel delays have been widespread, so we’re travelling from the UK to EU on it’s first day to see what happens (if anything, as full implementation is not required until 26 April 2026). England are also playing in Riga, Latvia for the first time ever on Tuesday so it seemed a good idea at the time. La Tania does Football (and yes, we’ll all be heading to USA26).

A mobile phone App to do self registration prior to travelling has been developed by the EU but this has also been delayed and will not be available for the launch date.

Passports will continue to be stamped until the full implementation by April 2026.

While the port of Dover and Eurostar / Le Shuttle have announced their timetables for their usage by French Border Control, the rest of the EU implemetation has not been revealed. Quite why a simple database recording passport and biometrics has taken nearly 10 years to implement is beyond us – something a teenager could knock up in an afternoon with a cloud service providing all the relevant security and resilience, think about the data Google, Meta etc handle! EU bureaucracy no doubt…

Exemptions

There are many exemptions including…

• Nationals of the European countries using the EES, as well as Cyprus and Ireland
• Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card and are immediately related to an EU national
• Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card or a residence permit and are immediately related to a non-EU national who can travel throughout Europe like an EU citizen
• Travelling for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, exchange schemes etc.
• Nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City
• The likes of Diplomats, NATO forces, train crew etc.
• Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas

That last one refers to long-stay visas, quite a few La Tania seasonaires use these so they are not restricted to the 90 days within 180 days (rollling) rules. In effect entitled to 90 Schengen Days, 180 French Long Stay Visa Days followed by another 90 Schengen Days all consecutive if they wanted it. Will be interesting how this works but the exemption is detailed on the Official European Union Travel to Europe site.

Our guide to obtaining a French Long Stay Visa

ETIAS – The other new system

ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorisation System is a visa waiver system similar to the USA ESTA which is a pre-approved travel authorisation you must have before travelling.

No start date for ETIAS has been released yet, some sources say 6 months after the full implementation of EES which would be the end of October 2026 while others say the end of 2026. Delays are to be expected though!

The cost will now be €20 for the 3 year authorisation (it was €10 when planned in 2016) but under 18s and over 70s are free – they still need to apply though!

Sun 12 Oct 2025 – How did we get on?

Arrived in Riga at 23:00 and thanks to a random last minute online check-in on Ryanair (they didn’t mange to sell the expensive seats) we ended up in row 3 for free!

So first off the aircraft just about, there was hardly any queue anyway.

At first we thought they’re not running the new system but sure enough they were. It did take around 2 minutes (maybe 3 minutes max if they had to redo the fingerprint scan) for the scan of 4 finger prints (at the same time) and a photograph – plus the usual scan and stamp of the passport.

I sort of wanted to show a French long stay visa to see if I was exempt but really just wanted to get the process done (and an #EnglandAway fixture is probably not the right time!).

So we’re sorted – done it! No kiosk or self serve type operation here, all done by the Border Control Staff – I bet they really appreciate their job trebling overnight!

Hopefully more kiosks, a smartphone App and a lot more people through the system by the time the Ski Season comes along. There will be some delays though. Glad we’ve done it – but it does beg the question: If you’ve done this EU EES Registration will there be a seperate queue? Or can you use automatic machines lile the French have recommended?

One other thing – COME ON ENGLAND!

The Return Journey – Wed 15 Oct 2025

Didn’t think there would be a further update to this blog entry but the trip back was not as smooth as we thought it would be.

The whole process of finger printing and taking photographs was repeated on leaving Riga – we understood it was a once only registration so we don’t really understand what is going on. Long passport queues quickly built up as hung-over England Fans arrived at the airport to return home after the 5-0 win over Latvia last night.

Hopefully things will become more clear in the coming weeks…

The AI Response

You’re right to ask — the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is a big change, and there is some confusion around how exactly it works. But based on the rules, what you experienced (being asked for fingerprints on arrival and departure) is consistent with EES, at least during the rollout period. Here’s how it works and why you might be asked more than once:

What is EES, and what does it require?

• The EES is a system the EU is introducing to replace passport stamping for non-EU / non-Schengen-area nationals.  
• It will automatically record entries and exits (date, time, place) plus biometric data (fingerprints, facial image).  
• For people who don’t need a visa to enter Schengen (e.g. many UK travellers), EES requires fingerprints + a photo the first time you cross a Schengen border under EES.  
• On subsequent entries/exits (within the validity period), typically only your facial image is checked (i.e. verification) rather than full re-registration of fingerprints.  
• The biometric registration is held for a period (three years, or until your passport expires) for border checks.  

Why were you asked for fingerprints on both arrival 

and

 departure?

Here are a few likely reasons:

1. Rolling / phased implementation
   EES is being rolled out gradually at different border locations over time. 
   In some places, border posts may require full biometric capture not just on arrival but also at exit during the initial phase, to ensure the system logs both legs of your journey.  
2. First time at that border / in that region under EES
   Even if you’ve done biometric registration elsewhere, the particular border point (or country) may treat the departure as a “first encounter” under EES in their system, and request the fingerprinting step.
3. System verification / redundancy
   To ensure the exit is correctly matched with the entry record (and avoid abuse, overstays, identity fraud), some border authorities might capture fingerprints on exit to double-check your identity against the record.
4. Passport or identity change
   If your passport changed (you have a new one) or your presented identity differs from what’s in the EES record, the system may require re-verification (including fingerprints) to reconcile the data.
5. Transitional / fallback procedures
   During roll-out, border officers might err on the side of caution and take fingerprints even if not strictly required (especially early on) to make sure the system works reliably.

Is EES just a “one-off registration”?

It’s often described that way (i.e. you do the biometric registration once) for simplicity, but that is somewhat idealised. In practice:

• You will give fingerprints + photo on your first EES occurrence.  
• But on return trips you are still subject to verification (face, or in some cases fingerprint if conditions require).  
• If it’s been a long time since your last crossing (beyond the period the record is kept) or you have a new passport, you might need full re-registration.

So it’s not purely “one and done” in all cases — there’s verification every time, and under certain circumstances biometric capture might be repeated.

If you like, I can check whether Latvia / Riga borders specifically currently require fingerprinting on both arrival and departure under EES during the rollout. Would you like me to check that for your specific trip?

YES

Here’s what I found regarding the EES in Latvia / Riga — and whether your experience (fingerprints at both arrival and departure) is expected there:

What the official Latvian sources say

• Latvia has confirmed that from 12 October 2025, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) starts operating at all border crossing points in Latvia.  
• Under the EES, third-country nationals (i.e. non-EU / non-Schengen nationals) making short stays (up to 90 days in any 180) will have to register biometric data (fingerprints + facial image) plus travel document data and entry/exit dates.  
• At the “initial stages” of EES operation, travellers should expect longer border checks, especially when their biometric data is first being recorded.  
• Latvia’s State Border Guard notes that during the first border crossing after EES goes live, biometric data (facial image and/or fingerprint) must be registered.  
• Once registered, subsequent entries and exits should involve verification rather than fresh full data capture.  
• As of 14 October 2025, about 3,797 third-country nationals had been registered under EES in Latvia in the first days of operation.  

What this implies for your case (in Riga)

Given the above, here’s how your experience could align with the rules or with transitional / practical realities:

1. First registration may occur at either border crossing (entry or exit)
   The rules say that biometric data must be captured when the traveller first crosses a Schengen external border after EES goes live. For Latvia, that’s at any border point in Latvia. If that “first crossing” happens to be on exit (say, because you entered earlier from elsewhere in Schengen), authorities might capture at departure.
2. During rollout, border posts may capture biometrics on both arrival and departure
   Because Latvia is just starting EES, and the “initial stages” foresee extra caution and longer checks, border posts may still capture fingerprints at both ends to ensure matching and consistency, especially while staff and systems stabilise.
3. Verification mode for subsequent crossings
   After your biometric data is already in the system, future crossings into or out of Latvia (or other Schengen states) should mostly involve verification (face scan, possibly fingerprint match) rather than full re-capture. This matches the general EES principle.  
4. Local systems / practices might vary
   Border guards and systems (especially in the early days) may differ in how strictly they apply “only first capture” vs “capture again” depending on their readiness, staff training, or to double check identity. Also, if your passport changed or there was any mismatch, they might require new biometric capture.
5. Use of ABC gates for EU / EEA citizens
   Latvia mentions usage of Automated Border Control (ABC) gates for travellers from the EU / EEA / Swiss who hold biometric passports. For exit, those aged 18+ may use ABC gates. But this is for EU citizens, not relevant in your case as a third-country national.  

So in short: Yes, your being asked for fingerprints both on arrival and departure in Riga / Latvia is consistent with what’s happening during the initial rollout of EES there. It might not be permanent, but during the first crossings the authorities are likely to be cautious and perform full biometric capture on both legs.

If you like, I can check whether any travellers have posted recent (2025) reports from Riga confirming they had to give fingerprints both ways, to see how it’s playing out on the ground. Do you want me to dig for that?

YES

I wasn’t able to find any reliable first-hand traveller reports or forum entries specifically from Riga / Latvia confirming that people have had to give fingerprints both on arrival and departure under the EES.

Here’s what is found, and how it aligns (or doesn’t) with your experience:

What I did find

• The Latvian public media site states that during the first border crossing after EES is introduced, a third-country national will need to register biometric data (fingerprints + photo).  
• The same source says that on subsequent crossings, only verification should be needed (i.e. border guards will check fingerprints or facial image, rather than collecting anew).  
• The official EU “New Entry/Exit System went live” announcement says that travellers are required to provide passport information, facial image, and fingerprints upon their first entry or exit. For subsequent entries/exits, only a “quick verification” is expected.  
• The Latvian Ministry / Embassy page confirms that from 12 October 2025, EES will operate at all Latvian border crossing points, and biometric data will be collected from third-country nationals.  
• The Travel-Europe (EU) FAQ states that biometric data might not be collected at every crossing point immediately — it depends on deployment:
  “travellers’ biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away …”  

Interpretation & possible explanations

Because I didn’t find confirmed traveller reports from Riga, I can’t definitively say your experience was typical, but the available evidence and rules make your scenario plausible, especially during the initial rollout. Here are plausible explanations:

• You may have been treated as a “first crossing under EES” in two senses (arrival and departure) if the exit side system was not yet confident of linking your entry record.
• Border posts may err conservatively and collect full biometrics on exit as a fail-safe while the system is new.
• Local practice may vary: in a less busy or newer border point, the officers or technical setup might still require full biometric capture when in doubt.
• Since rollout is gradual, some exit controls might not yet fully support “verification only” mode everywhere; thus, full capture may still occur at some exits.