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Entry/Exit System (EES)

In operation Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: State budget

The EES registers non-EU short-stay travellers at Schengen external borders with fingerprints and facial images in place of passport stamps 2. The Commission's 2016 revised proposal estimated development at EUR 480 million, against EUR 1.1 billion set aside in 2013 for EES and a traveller programme 1. An MEP question in July 2022 said start-up had slipped to May 2023 3. The system started on 12 October 2025 4 and became fully operational on 10 April 2026 2. In June 2026 a consortium led by Sword Services Greece was ranked first for a four-year development and maintenance contract estimated at EUR 93 million (company statement) 5. InsideFlyer reported queues linked to roll-out problems in July 2026 6.

Key terms

Buyer
eu-LISA (European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems), for the European Commission
Vendor
Development and maintenance: consortium led by Sword Services Greece with Netcompany and Sopra Steria (contract ranked first under eu-LISA's Dynamic Purchasing System, company statement 4 June 2026)
Vendor based in
Not confirmed
Signed
Not published (development and maintenance contract announced 4 June 2026)
Duration
4 years (development and maintenance framework contract, company statement 4 June 2026)
Value
EUR 480 million estimated for development in the revised 2016 proposal, down from EUR 1.1 billion set aside in the 2013 proposals for EES and a Registered Traveller Programme (Legislative Observatory summary of 6 April 2016). Development and maintenance contract estimated at EUR 93 million (company statement, 4 June 2026)
Funding
state budget
Procurement route
framework
System ownership
eu-LISA is responsible for developing and managing the system (European Commission, page dated 10 April 2026)
Data terms
The system records name, travel document data, fingerprints, facial images, date and place of entry and exit, and refusals of entry. Managed centrally by eu-LISA (European Commission, 10 April 2026)

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 18 July 2022: Written question E-002640/2022 by MEP Cornelia Ernst stated that roll-out had been delayed until May 2023 and that the Commission blamed the system contractors. The Commission answer was not reviewed 3
  2. 12 October 2025: eu-LISA reported the system entered operation, with Member States given up to 180 days to complete deployment 4
  3. 10 April 2026: The European Commission states the system became fully operational and replaced passport stamping 2
  4. 8 July 2026: InsideFlyer reported long queues and missed flights at major airports linked to EES roll-out problems 6

Sources

  1. European Parliament Legislative Observatory: Entry/Exit System (EES) 2016/0106(COD) document summary (6 April 2016)
  2. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Entry/Exit System (EES) (10 April 2026)
  3. European Parliament: Question E-002640/2022, Entry/Exit System further delayed (18 July 2022)
  4. eu-LISA: The Entry/Exit System Successfully Connected Across Europe (13 October 2025)
  5. Sword Group via GlobeNewswire, company statement: Strategic contract with eu-LISA (4 June 2026)
  6. InsideFlyer: EU postpones ETIAS travel authorization to 2027 (8 July 2026)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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