The long wait is over.

After years of planning and myriad delays, the European Union’s Entry/Exit system (EES) will go live on October 12.

While nothing has changed when it comes to the rules of who can enter the EU, and how long they can stay, the new system will track cross-border movements in the Schengen area of 29 countries. This will be done by capturing the biometric data of visitors — just as other countries, including the US, already do.

How will it work, and how could it impact your vacation? Here’s all you need to know.

What is EES?

The EU’s Entry/Exit System will capture biometric data from non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area (essentially all EU states except Cyprus and Ireland, plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway). In the same way that visitors are fingerprinted e

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