It's been the year of new travel restrictions and regulations, both for potential visitors to the United States and for Americans eager to expand their wings and venture abroad. We already know that the days of passport stamps—those darling, analog reminders of destinations visited—are numbered, with 29 countries set to begin phasing the stamps out next month. And as part of that new travel development, one member of the European Union is getting a head start on implementing the techy new verification process for those entering or exiting the country.
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Starting on Sunday, October 12, Croatia—a popular destination for Americans seeking stunning beach landscapes, delicious gastronomic experiences and beautiful medieval towns (the country frequently stood in for the fantastical locations in Game of Thrones)—will be the first nation to implement the Entry/Exit System, or EES, in the European Union.
Designed to replace those traditional passport stamps, the EES border system will use digital tracking and biometric data to enhance security and speed up border crossings into the 29 countries in the Schengen Area. In layman terms, it means that, upon your first arrival at one of the nine international airports located in Croatia, travelers will use self-service kiosks to scan their passport, provide four fingerprints and snap a photograph at border control. Once you receive digital verification of your entry and exit, you're good to go.
The biometric data will be stored for three years, which means you won't have to go through that fingerprinting process often—on future trips into the Schengen Area, you will only need to go through a quick facial scan at a kiosk to confirm your identity. According to the European Union, the Entry/Exit System will be enacted in all EU countries by April 10, 2026.