Meeting in Brussels on 3 December, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee endorsed legislation that would let travellers generate a voluntary “digital travel credential” (DTC) based on their biometric passport or EU identity card. The credential could be uploaded to a secure EU app and submitted for pre-clearance before reaching an external Schengen border. Border guards would still scan the physical document, but the bulk of data checks—validity of the document, ETIAS or visa status, entry-ban queries—would already have been run in the background.
For Belgian residents and companies the change is significant. Brussels Airport handled more than 18 million passengers in 2024 and regularly suffers long queues when holiday peaks coincide with manual checks required by the new Entry-Exit System. By allowing travellers to “share once, reuse many times”, the DTC could cut waiting times by up to 40 %, according to Commission estimates. Belgian corporates that move staff frequently outside the EU—pharmaceutical plants in Puurs or headquarters teams in Brussels—stand to gain predictable door-to-door times and fewer missed connections.
![EU Parliament backs digital travel credentials, paving the way for smoother border crossings from Brussels]()
The committee tightened privacy safeguards: only travellers aged 16+ may enrol; data must be erased immediately after a successful crossing; and opting-out may not trigger slower processing. MEPs also accelerated roll-out to 18 months after the regulation enters into force, instead of 2030, meaning the system could go live well before the 2027 Belgian EU Council Presidency.
Next, Parliament’s plenary is expected to confirm the mandate during its 15-18 December session. If the Council agrees, negotiations on the final text can start early 2026. Belgian border authorities will then have to integrate the DTC with their e-Gates at Brussels and Charleroi airports and seaports such as Zeebrugge.
For Belgian residents and companies the change is significant. Brussels Airport handled more than 18 million passengers in 2024 and regularly suffers long queues when holiday peaks coincide with manual checks required by the new Entry-Exit System. By allowing travellers to “share once, reuse many times”, the DTC could cut waiting times by up to 40 %, according to Commission estimates. Belgian corporates that move staff frequently outside the EU—pharmaceutical plants in Puurs or headquarters teams in Brussels—stand to gain predictable door-to-door times and fewer missed connections.
The committee tightened privacy safeguards: only travellers aged 16+ may enrol; data must be erased immediately after a successful crossing; and opting-out may not trigger slower processing. MEPs also accelerated roll-out to 18 months after the regulation enters into force, instead of 2030, meaning the system could go live well before the 2027 Belgian EU Council Presidency.
Next, Parliament’s plenary is expected to confirm the mandate during its 15-18 December session. If the Council agrees, negotiations on the final text can start early 2026. Belgian border authorities will then have to integrate the DTC with their e-Gates at Brussels and Charleroi airports and seaports such as Zeebrugge.
