If you’re flying to Spain this fall, get ready for a new arrival ritual: fingerprints and a face scan. Starting October 12, Spain will officially launch the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), swapping out the traditional passport stamp for a more high-tech process.
The move makes Spain the second European country—after Croatia—to roll out mandatory fingerprinting for foreign visitors. And given that Spain welcomed a record-breaking 94 million tourists last year, the change will affect millions of travelers, especially Americans, who make up a large slice of Spain’s arrivals.
Here’s how it works. Instead of heading to a booth to chat with a border agent and get your passport stamped, you’ll now be directed to an EES kiosk. First, you’ll scan your passport. Then, the machine will take your photo and collect four fingerprints. Finally, you’ll answer a few quick security questions on screen. That’s it.
The system stores your biometric info securely for three years, meaning that on your next visit, you’ll just need a quick face scan to glide through. EU officials say the upgrade will cut down wait times at border control, which can stretch for hours at airports like Madrid-Barajas on peak days.
Spain is rolling the program out in stages. For now, it’s just airports, starting with Madrid. Land borders—such as those with Gibraltar, Ceuta and Melilla—will follow later, with seaports last in line after technical updates. The Interior Ministry hasn’t given dates for hubs like Barcelona, Mallorca or Málaga, but the EU has set an absolute deadline of April 2026 for full implementation.
Not every EU country is ready yet—many are using the six-month grace period to get their systems in place—but Spain is pushing ahead from day one. That means if you’re landing in Madrid from mid-October, be prepared to spend a few extra minutes at the kiosk.
One catch: refusing to provide biometric data means you won’t be allowed in. Children under 12, however, are exempt from fingerprinting.
Your passport may look a little emptier without stamps, but new digital system set to take over in the EU promises a smoother journey.
Full list of European countries set to use the new EES 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