The European Union’s push toward friction-free borders took a concrete step forward on 1 December 2025 when the Council authorised work on a voluntary “Digital Travel App.” Developed by the EU IT-agency eu-LISA, the smartphone tool will let passengers scan their e-passport chip at home, answer entry questions and upload the data to border authorities before departure. At the airport, a QR code generated by the app will trigger an automated gate, slashing the time needed to collect the fingerprints and facial image now required under the new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Czechia has moved quickly to the front of the queue. The national Border Police confirmed on Monday that Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) will host the first Schengen-area pilot as early as Q1 2026. PRG processed 6.8 million non-EU arrivals between January and October this year, and queues at the manual EES booths can exceed 40 minutes at peak times. Early modelling suggests the app could cut the average non-EU clearance from six minutes to under 90 seconds.
![EU Picks Prague as First Test Site for New “Digital Travel App”]()
For multinational companies headquartered in Prague — think Honeywell, DHL and PPF — the benefits are tangible. Travel-management firm CWT calculates that a mid-sized Czech business conducts around 4,200 intra-EU trips a year; trimming even three minutes per traveller would save roughly 210 work-hours annually. Yet the convenience comes with compliance obligations: mobility teams must educate employees on how the Digital Travel App, ETIAS and traditional visas intersect, and ensure uploads comply with Czech and EU data-privacy rules.
Brussels insists the scheme will remain voluntary at first, but officials admit that widespread adoption could eventually allow member states to redeploy staff from passport control to risk-based enforcement. Companies that regularly rotate staff from outside the EU would be wise to monitor the Czech pilot and budget for future IT-integration work once the app becomes mandatory for high-volume travellers.
If the test is successful, Prague’s experience is expected to serve as a template for roll-outs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Barcelona later in 2026. The Border Police say they will publish a passenger guide in multiple languages before the pilot goes live and will stage live demos for corporate travel managers in February.
Czechia has moved quickly to the front of the queue. The national Border Police confirmed on Monday that Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) will host the first Schengen-area pilot as early as Q1 2026. PRG processed 6.8 million non-EU arrivals between January and October this year, and queues at the manual EES booths can exceed 40 minutes at peak times. Early modelling suggests the app could cut the average non-EU clearance from six minutes to under 90 seconds.
For multinational companies headquartered in Prague — think Honeywell, DHL and PPF — the benefits are tangible. Travel-management firm CWT calculates that a mid-sized Czech business conducts around 4,200 intra-EU trips a year; trimming even three minutes per traveller would save roughly 210 work-hours annually. Yet the convenience comes with compliance obligations: mobility teams must educate employees on how the Digital Travel App, ETIAS and traditional visas intersect, and ensure uploads comply with Czech and EU data-privacy rules.
Brussels insists the scheme will remain voluntary at first, but officials admit that widespread adoption could eventually allow member states to redeploy staff from passport control to risk-based enforcement. Companies that regularly rotate staff from outside the EU would be wise to monitor the Czech pilot and budget for future IT-integration work once the app becomes mandatory for high-volume travellers.
If the test is successful, Prague’s experience is expected to serve as a template for roll-outs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Barcelona later in 2026. The Border Police say they will publish a passenger guide in multiple languages before the pilot goes live and will stage live demos for corporate travel managers in February.
