Two weeks after the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) went live on 12 October 2025, the bloc has already recorded over 300 000 biometric crossings, according to an update published on 26 October by European border-security platform Vi Finns. Spain’s Ministry of the Interior says the first gates at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat will switch from pilot to live mode in November, while land-border testing at La Línea (Gibraltar frontier) is scheduled for December.
EES replaces manual passport stamping for non-EU short-stay travellers by capturing fingerprints and a facial image and calculating authorised days in Schengen. For Spain, the system is the technological backbone for the delayed ETIAS travel authorisation now slated for Q4 2026.
Early data show an average processing time of 89 seconds per first-time user—slightly above the 85-second target but within design parameters. Spain’s airport operator Aena is deploying 250 additional e-gates and promises “fast-lanes” for premium passengers once reliability stabilises.
Global-mobility teams should audit travel-policy guidance: EU residents with Spanish TIE cards are exempt, but visiting assignees on national visas will still undergo EES capture when re-entering Spain from trips outside Schengen. Miscounts of stay days could trigger overstay alerts, so educating travellers on the 90/180-day rule remains essential.
EES replaces manual passport stamping for non-EU short-stay travellers by capturing fingerprints and a facial image and calculating authorised days in Schengen. For Spain, the system is the technological backbone for the delayed ETIAS travel authorisation now slated for Q4 2026.
Early data show an average processing time of 89 seconds per first-time user—slightly above the 85-second target but within design parameters. Spain’s airport operator Aena is deploying 250 additional e-gates and promises “fast-lanes” for premium passengers once reliability stabilises.
Global-mobility teams should audit travel-policy guidance: EU residents with Spanish TIE cards are exempt, but visiting assignees on national visas will still undergo EES capture when re-entering Spain from trips outside Schengen. Miscounts of stay days could trigger overstay alerts, so educating travellers on the 90/180-day rule remains essential.
