The European Union’s new Biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) is now operational across 29 Schengen states, recording every non-EU traveller’s fingerprints, facial image, and travel-document data at the moment of crossing an external border. The system quietly launched on 12 October 2025, but EU officials highlighted the roll-out in media briefings on 2 November, stressing that manual passport stamping will cease entirely by April 2026.
For Czechia, the stakes are high. Prague Airport handled over 13 million passengers last year, and roughly 45 % came from outside the Schengen Area. The Foreign Police confirm that Terminal 1 has installed 58 self-service kiosks capable of capturing fingerprints and high-resolution facial images in under 90 seconds. In the first three weeks of operation, average processing times for non-EU arrivals increased by 8–12 minutes, prompting the airport to add bilingual way-finding staff and to recommend that intercontinental passengers arrive three hours before departure.
![EU Biometric Entry/Exit System Goes Live—What It Means for Travelers to Czechia]()
Business-travel implications are two-fold. First, the EES counter resets the 90/180-day allowance for visa-exempt nationals. An overstay—now detected automatically—could trigger an immediate Schengen-wide entry ban, so mobility managers must track short-term trips with greater precision. Second, biometric data will be retained for three years; repeat travellers will therefore spend less time at the kiosk on future visits, potentially offsetting the current delays.
Data-privacy questions remain. While the EU insists that the central database is accessible only to border forces and designated security agencies, Czech privacy advocates have called for additional safeguards and audit rights. Employers moving staff between Prague and non-EU locations should update privacy notices under GDPR and brief assignees on the new biometric requirements.
Looking ahead, the Czech Interior Ministry plans a mid-2026 pilot that will extend EES kiosks to select land crossings with Poland and Slovakia. If successful, the model could eliminate manual passport checks for coach and car traffic, further changing how mobile workers enter the country.
For Czechia, the stakes are high. Prague Airport handled over 13 million passengers last year, and roughly 45 % came from outside the Schengen Area. The Foreign Police confirm that Terminal 1 has installed 58 self-service kiosks capable of capturing fingerprints and high-resolution facial images in under 90 seconds. In the first three weeks of operation, average processing times for non-EU arrivals increased by 8–12 minutes, prompting the airport to add bilingual way-finding staff and to recommend that intercontinental passengers arrive three hours before departure.
Business-travel implications are two-fold. First, the EES counter resets the 90/180-day allowance for visa-exempt nationals. An overstay—now detected automatically—could trigger an immediate Schengen-wide entry ban, so mobility managers must track short-term trips with greater precision. Second, biometric data will be retained for three years; repeat travellers will therefore spend less time at the kiosk on future visits, potentially offsetting the current delays.
Data-privacy questions remain. While the EU insists that the central database is accessible only to border forces and designated security agencies, Czech privacy advocates have called for additional safeguards and audit rights. Employers moving staff between Prague and non-EU locations should update privacy notices under GDPR and brief assignees on the new biometric requirements.
Looking ahead, the Czech Interior Ministry plans a mid-2026 pilot that will extend EES kiosks to select land crossings with Poland and Slovakia. If successful, the model could eliminate manual passport checks for coach and car traffic, further changing how mobile workers enter the country.
