On 31 October the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) refreshed its consular website to highlight the 12 October 2025 go-live date for the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). The advisory warns travellers and sponsoring employers of impending biometric enrolment at external Schengen borders and cautions against “fraudulent” third-party sites offering ETIAS authorisations ahead of schedule.
What changes on 12 October 2025 EES will replace passport stamping for non-EU short-stay visitors, capturing fingerprints and facial images at first entry into the Schengen Area. France will phase in the system at major airports (CDG, Orly, Nice, Lyon) and channel terminals before extending to land borders by April 2026.
Practical tips for corporate mobility • Advise visa-exempt assignees to allow extra time (estimated 15–25 minutes) at initial entry.
• Ensure privacy notices in HR travel policies cover new biometric processing.
• Prepare communications for frequent travellers whose 90/180-day calculations will be automated, reducing tolerance for overstays.
ETIAS timing The ministry reiterates that ETIAS, a pre-travel authorisation and fee (€20), will not launch until Q4 2026. Any website currently offering paid ETIAS applications is a scam.
Why it matters With less than a year before deployment, businesses must review travel workflows, update duty-of-care briefings and liaise with travel-management companies to integrate EES checks into itineraries.
What changes on 12 October 2025 EES will replace passport stamping for non-EU short-stay visitors, capturing fingerprints and facial images at first entry into the Schengen Area. France will phase in the system at major airports (CDG, Orly, Nice, Lyon) and channel terminals before extending to land borders by April 2026.
Practical tips for corporate mobility • Advise visa-exempt assignees to allow extra time (estimated 15–25 minutes) at initial entry.
• Ensure privacy notices in HR travel policies cover new biometric processing.
• Prepare communications for frequent travellers whose 90/180-day calculations will be automated, reducing tolerance for overstays.
ETIAS timing The ministry reiterates that ETIAS, a pre-travel authorisation and fee (€20), will not launch until Q4 2026. Any website currently offering paid ETIAS applications is a scam.
Why it matters With less than a year before deployment, businesses must review travel workflows, update duty-of-care briefings and liaise with travel-management companies to integrate EES checks into itineraries.
