On 26 December 2025 the Vorarlberg Regional Police Directorate quietly added a detailed FAQ to its public service portal explaining how the EU-wide Entry/Exit System (EES) will work at Austrian land border crossings in 2026. The page, entitled “Grenzkontrolle, Passstempel und Entry Exit System”, clarifies that although the biometric registration system went live at airports on 12 October 2025, its roll-out at road and rail checkpoints on Austria’s western frontier will be phased in between now and 10 April 2026.
Key take-aways for commuters and logistics firms include: (1) Third-country nationals driving into Austria will have to leave their vehicles to provide four fingerprints and a live facial photo during their first crossing after activation; (2) regular cross-border workers with residence permits are exempt from repeated biometric capture after the initial enrolment; and (3) overstays will be calculated automatically—passport stamping is being abolished.
Travel administrators who need guidance as these requirements evolve can turn to VisaHQ, whose Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) continuously tracks EES developments, visa categories and residence permit rules. The service’s specialists can pre-screen documents, schedule biometric appointments and advise businesses on compliance strategies, helping commuters and multinational teams move through Austrian borders with minimal disruption.
![Austrian Police publish new guidance on Entry/Exit System procedures at Vorarlberg land borders]()
For international companies based in the Lake Constance region the new information is vital. HR managers who rotate staff between Zurich and Austrian plants in Feldkirch or Dornbirn must now plan for slightly longer wait times during the first quarter of 2026. The police recommend scheduling appointments with the Fremdenpolizei in advance if travellers believe their data have been recorded incorrectly.
The guidance also lists a dedicated helpline (+43 59133 80 2666) and encourages users to check the EES section of the EU Commission website. Experts see the update as part of Austria’s broader effort to minimise first-day chaos when land borders switch to the system—something that caught holidaymakers by surprise at Vienna Airport earlier this autumn.
Businesses moving drivers and high-value goods through the Swiss-Austrian corridor should factor the new biometric stop into delivery schedules and consider equipping staff with digital wallets that store EES receipts to speed subsequent crossings.
Key take-aways for commuters and logistics firms include: (1) Third-country nationals driving into Austria will have to leave their vehicles to provide four fingerprints and a live facial photo during their first crossing after activation; (2) regular cross-border workers with residence permits are exempt from repeated biometric capture after the initial enrolment; and (3) overstays will be calculated automatically—passport stamping is being abolished.
Travel administrators who need guidance as these requirements evolve can turn to VisaHQ, whose Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) continuously tracks EES developments, visa categories and residence permit rules. The service’s specialists can pre-screen documents, schedule biometric appointments and advise businesses on compliance strategies, helping commuters and multinational teams move through Austrian borders with minimal disruption.
For international companies based in the Lake Constance region the new information is vital. HR managers who rotate staff between Zurich and Austrian plants in Feldkirch or Dornbirn must now plan for slightly longer wait times during the first quarter of 2026. The police recommend scheduling appointments with the Fremdenpolizei in advance if travellers believe their data have been recorded incorrectly.
The guidance also lists a dedicated helpline (+43 59133 80 2666) and encourages users to check the EES section of the EU Commission website. Experts see the update as part of Austria’s broader effort to minimise first-day chaos when land borders switch to the system—something that caught holidaymakers by surprise at Vienna Airport earlier this autumn.
Businesses moving drivers and high-value goods through the Swiss-Austrian corridor should factor the new biometric stop into delivery schedules and consider equipping staff with digital wallets that store EES receipts to speed subsequent crossings.
