EES and ETIAS explained: what Thai travellers face entering Europe

EES is the EU's Entry/Exit System, which has recorded non-EU short-stay travellers at the external Schengen border since it became fully operational on 10 April 2026. ETIAS is a separate travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals and is not yet in operation. Thai travellers with a Schengen visa go through EES but do not need ETIAS.

How are EES and ETIAS different?

In short, EES is a record kept at the border, while ETIAS is an online authorisation requested before travel. The table below sets out the differences that matter to Thai travellers.

Is EES running now, and what does it record?

Yes. The European Commission says EES started gradually on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, replacing passport stamping.

• Your name and travel document details
• Biometrics: fingerprints and a facial image
• The date and place of each entry and exit
• Any refusal of entry

EES applies in the 29 countries that use it, while Cyprus and Ireland still stamp passports by hand, according to the EU's travel-europe site.

Do Thais with a Schengen visa need ETIAS?

No. The EU's travel-europe site says ETIAS is for visa-exempt nationals of 59 countries and territories travelling to 30 European countries. People who need a visa, and holders of a uniform Schengen visa or a national long-stay visa, do not need ETIAS.

ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are being collected. The EU will announce the start date several months before launch, followed by a transitional period and a grace period lasting at least 12 months in total. If a website offers to process an ETIAS for you today, check the official EU site first.

What happens at the border under EES?

On your first crossing of the external border, your photo and/or fingerprints are taken and your passport is not stamped. On later crossings the data is only checked.

• Visa holders such as Thai travellers have only a facial image stored in EES, because their fingerprints are already in the Visa Information System (VIS)
• Visa-exempt travellers give 4 fingerprints plus a facial image, and children under 12 are not fingerprinted
• Self-service kiosks need a biometric passport, but non-biometric passports are still accepted
• Refusing to give biometrics means you will be refused entry

How long does EES keep data, and how do you check your stay?

Entry, exit and refusal records are kept for 3 years, or 5 years if no exit is recorded. People who overstay are put on a list of overstayers.

The travel-europe site has a tool to check how long you can stay. It asks for the country, document type and number, issuing country code and your travel dates, and it does not count time spent in the Schengen area before 10 April 2026. The 90/180-day period is counted as one period across all countries that use EES, not per country.

Is the UK ETA part of EES or ETIAS?

No. The UK is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not cover it, and the UK ETA is run by the UK government. GOV.UK says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries, and it does not name Thailand, so check GOV.UK before you travel.

Why do your phone and mobile data matter around EES?

EES needs no app from Thai visa holders, but a phone with data helps in several ways. The official Travel to Europe app, for biometric passport holders under EES, allows pre-registration up to 72 hours before arrival. For now it works only in Sweden and Portugal, and using it is optional.

• Keep accommodation and return-ticket bookings on your phone in case an officer asks
• Use the travel-europe stay checker during the trip
• Open maps and email when you need to reach a hotel or airline

Have data ready from the moment you land. The guide “Preparing for a Multi-Country Europe Trip: Which Internet to Use, SIM or eSIM” compares the options, and the button below leads to eSIM plans that cover the Schengen area.

See eSIM plans for the Schengen area