Travelers crossing from Ukraine into Hungary on 8 November 2025 became the first to experience a fully operational Entry/Exit System (EES) at every border post along that frontier. The EES replaces passport stamping with fingerprint and facial scans and automatically tallies each visitor’s days in the Schengen Area.
While few Irish residents drive the 2,700-kilometre route to Hungary, the roll-out marks a milestone that will soon affect Irish tourists who rent cars or campervans for pan-European trips. Dublin-based tour operator Camp&Go says 18 % of its customers now extend road holidays into Eastern Europe; those planning 2026 itineraries will need to factor in additional processing time—local officials estimate three to five minutes per first-time entrant.
![Biometric EU border system goes live on Ukrainian-Hungarian frontier—Irish road-trippers take note]()
Irish firms with posted workers in continental construction or IT projects must also prepare. Staff who hold Stamp 4 EUFAM or other Irish residence cards are exempt, but non-EU subcontractors flying to Budapest and driving onward will have to enrol in the biometric system at their first land crossing.
Because Ireland and Cyprus remain outside Schengen, Irish passport holders will encounter EES whenever they enter by air, sea or land once the system completes its six-month phased launch. The Department of Foreign Affairs recommends keeping travel histories handy in case of data-mismatch queries during the transition period.
Risk advisory: overstays will now trigger automatic alerts. Immigration counsel Morgan McManus warns that even a one-day excess stay could complicate subsequent work-permit or ETIAS applications.
While few Irish residents drive the 2,700-kilometre route to Hungary, the roll-out marks a milestone that will soon affect Irish tourists who rent cars or campervans for pan-European trips. Dublin-based tour operator Camp&Go says 18 % of its customers now extend road holidays into Eastern Europe; those planning 2026 itineraries will need to factor in additional processing time—local officials estimate three to five minutes per first-time entrant.
Irish firms with posted workers in continental construction or IT projects must also prepare. Staff who hold Stamp 4 EUFAM or other Irish residence cards are exempt, but non-EU subcontractors flying to Budapest and driving onward will have to enrol in the biometric system at their first land crossing.
Because Ireland and Cyprus remain outside Schengen, Irish passport holders will encounter EES whenever they enter by air, sea or land once the system completes its six-month phased launch. The Department of Foreign Affairs recommends keeping travel histories handy in case of data-mismatch queries during the transition period.
Risk advisory: overstays will now trigger automatic alerts. Immigration counsel Morgan McManus warns that even a one-day excess stay could complicate subsequent work-permit or ETIAS applications.
