Representatives of EU Member States, Frontex and eu-LISA gathered in Strasbourg on 6-7 November 2025 for the first Advisory Group since the Entry/Exit System (EES) went live on 12 October. Italy reported that all four pilot points—Fiumicino, Malpensa, the Port of Civitavecchia and the Port of Genoa—successfully registered more than 380,000 third-country nationals in the first three weeks without critical incidents. Average processing time per passenger dropped from 53 seconds on day one to 41 seconds by 5 November.
Italian border police highlighted the value of pre-enrolment kiosks installed in departure halls, which divert about 18 % of travellers away from manned booths. However, they warned that cruise-ship peaks at Civitavecchia in spring 2026 could push the system beyond its design capacity unless additional biometric lanes are funded.
![EES-ETIAS Advisory Group Meets on 6-7 November: Early Data Show Smooth Roll-Out at Italian Borders]()
For mobility professionals, EES marks the end of passport-stamping and the start of automated 90/180-day calculations. Italian immigration counsel recommend that HR teams remind frequent business travellers to retain boarding passes and hotel invoices because EES errors can still occur during the bedding-in phase. Carriers operating into Italy must upload passenger API to the new Carrier Interface from 19 December or face fines of up to €5,000 per mis-recorded traveller.
Discussions also touched on ETIAS, now scheduled for June 2026 after the Council endorsed a six-month buffer to ensure EES stability. Italy’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed it will open a pilot ETIAS National Unit in Florence in April 2026, staffed by 45 analysts handling watch-list hits.
Companies relocating non-EU staff to Italy on local contracts should remember that long-term D-type visa holders remain outside the scope of EES and ETIAS, but their visiting family members on short stays will be captured. Training materials and FAQ sheets are being translated into Italian and English for HR distribution before the Christmas travel peak.
Italian border police highlighted the value of pre-enrolment kiosks installed in departure halls, which divert about 18 % of travellers away from manned booths. However, they warned that cruise-ship peaks at Civitavecchia in spring 2026 could push the system beyond its design capacity unless additional biometric lanes are funded.
For mobility professionals, EES marks the end of passport-stamping and the start of automated 90/180-day calculations. Italian immigration counsel recommend that HR teams remind frequent business travellers to retain boarding passes and hotel invoices because EES errors can still occur during the bedding-in phase. Carriers operating into Italy must upload passenger API to the new Carrier Interface from 19 December or face fines of up to €5,000 per mis-recorded traveller.
Discussions also touched on ETIAS, now scheduled for June 2026 after the Council endorsed a six-month buffer to ensure EES stability. Italy’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed it will open a pilot ETIAS National Unit in Florence in April 2026, staffed by 45 analysts handling watch-list hits.
Companies relocating non-EU staff to Italy on local contracts should remember that long-term D-type visa holders remain outside the scope of EES and ETIAS, but their visiting family members on short stays will be captured. Training materials and FAQ sheets are being translated into Italian and English for HR distribution before the Christmas travel peak.
