Australians travelling to Europe will face a big change at border control from this Sunday.

European countries are set to start rolling out the new Entry/Exit System (EES) from October 12, replacing manual passport stamps with a digital process.

Here’s what it means for travellers.

How the EES works

The EES is an automated IT system that records the entry and exit of non-EU travellers using fingerprints, facial scans and passport data.

Travellers will need to provide these details the first time they enter Europe after the system takes effect.

Once the data is collected, future crossings are expected to become faster — within about three years — as border officers will only need to verify the traveller’s information rather than collect it again.

Australians with a biometric passpo

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