Skopje, 1 October 2025 (MIA) - On October 12, the European Union is set to begin a gradual implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES), which is expected to be fully implemented by April 2026.

In a press release Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said the new digital system is one of the most significant reforms in the EU’s border management, replacing passport stamping with electronic records of biometric data (photo and fingerprints), as well as accurate logs of entry and exit dates.

“EES applies to all nationals of countries that are not members of the European Union or the Schengen Area and are traveling for a short stay (up to 90 days within any 180-day period). It includes travelers who do not need a visa to enter the EU and travelers who possess a short-stay visa. It does not apply to citizens of the EU member states and the Schengen Area,” the Ministry said.

The system will be active on all external border crossings of the 29 members of the Schengen Area, including: Greece, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein.

“With EES, the European Union aims to increase the security of its citizens by improving the detection of forged documents and identity fraud, strengthening the fight against crime, terrorism, and illegal migration, as well as to facilitate travel through faster and more efficient border checks, and to provide accurate digital records of the duration of the stay – eliminating potential misunderstandings that previously arose from manual passport stamps,” the Interior Ministry said.

The Ministry clarified that during the first trip after the introduction of the system, travelers will go through a full registration process that includes photographing, fingerprint scanning, and entering passport data. To ease the procedure, border crossings will also have self-service kiosks, and pre-registration via mobile apps will also be possible.

The Interior Ministry said the control process will be significantly faster during subsequent trips because the data will already be stored in the system and it will only need to be verified.

“The system will be rolled out in phases from October 2025 to April 2026. This means some travelers will still receive passport stamps until all border crossings gradually transition to full digital records. As of April 10, 2026, passport stamps will be completely replaced by electronic logs,” the Ministry said.

In the press release, the Ministry stressed that all data will be processed and stored in accordance with the strict standards of the European Union and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This ensures full protection of privacy and transparent use of the collected data.

The Interior Ministry urged all citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia who plan to travel to countries in the Schengen Area to familiarize themselves with the new rules and procedures, in order to ensure their trips are timely, safe, and free of unnecessary delays.

Photo: Interior Ministry