Starting from October 12, 2025, a new Entry/Exit System (EES) will be introduced at all border crossing points in Latvia. The system is designed to facilitate travel to Europe for third-country nationals entering for short stays. The new system will be more modern and efficient than the current procedure, as it will gradually replace passport stamps with a digital system that records persons' entries, exits, and refusals of entry, thus speeding up border control and facilitating the work of border guards.
The EES (Entry/Exit System) will register biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) of third-country nationals, as well as data from travel documents and travel dates. The system's operation will enhance security in the Schengen area, as border guards and law enforcement authorities will have access to important information about travellers, thereby helping to identify security risks.
It should be noted that the EES will be rolled out gradually, and full operation of the system will be ensured by April 10, 2026. Until then, when crossing the external borders of Latvia and other European countries, third-country nationals will still have both entry and exit stamps placed in their passports, and their traveller data will be registered in the EES. Similarly, the automatic calculator for days of stay will not function during the transition. This approach will help ensure a gradual transition and allow border control points to fully adapt to the new procedures. The full implementation of the EES functionality in all European countries (after 10 April 2026) will make it possible to discontinue passport stamps and allow EU Member States to exchange traveller information electronically.
The EES is intended for short-term stays — up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This period is calculated in total for all European countries that use the EES. Registration in the EES is required for third-country nationals who are traveling either with a short-term visa to European countries using the EES, or visa-free for short-term stays in those countries.
The system will be gradually introduced in 29 European countries.
More information about the EES is available at website travel-europe.europa.eu.
Prepered by
Jolanta Babiško