146 seconds into Europe: Simon Calder tests the new EU entry-exit system

“Your passport, fingerprints and photograph, please.”

Some British travellers to the European Union are now having their biometric data collected, as the latest Brexit impact on journeys to Europe takes effect.

The long-awaited EU entry-exit system, Europe's digital border scheme, began a six-month-long roll-out on Sunday 12 October 2025. Simon Calder tested the system in Prague, the biggest European airport going for 100 per cent inbound biometric registration on day one.

This is his second-by-second guide to hand-to-hand combat with the EES at airports in the Schengen area. Please note it applies to the system as introduced in the Czech Republic; other nations will vary.

0m00s: The clock starts when you arrive at an airport entry-exit system kiosk. These may be dotted randomly along corridors as you walk from the aircraft, or concentrated in a block. Or both, as in the case of Prague. My advice: grab the first you see without a queue. Each kiosk has a main screen that takes you through a series of operations.

First task: select language. English is top left. You could skip this part by putting your passport on the scanner, saving a second or two.

0m05s: Place passport on scanner, with the personal data page face down. You then get the weird sight of that page appearing in monochrome, upside-down, for four seconds. Then it presents the photo from your passport, your first names, surname and date of birth – and asks: “Are you this person?”

The correct answer, assuming it is your passport, is: “YES: Proceed”.

0m25s: “Do you own a long term residence permit?” The aim of this question is to filter out non-Schengen citizens who have already registered their biometrics, as required to get a long term residence permit. The screen shows an example, belonging to “John Traveller” and issued in the city of “Utopia”. Almost everyone will answer: “No.”

0m45s: Time to capture your face image. There are strict instructions:

It doesn’t actually say “no smiling,” but I find that’s always wise in these situations.

0m57s: Now comes the tricky part: fingerprint scanning. A flashing light indicates where to place your hand. You need to scan both hands—four fingers at a time.

Place your fingers flat on the reader and hold them still. The screen gives you a read-out about whether you are performing correctly – red for “no”, yellow for “could do better”, green for “good”.

1m34s: With luck, your prints will be accepted. Next, the questions begin.

1m35s: The machine asks: “What’s the purpose of your trip?”

Options for the Czech Republic include business, tourism, official meetings, medical treatment, and even spa stays. There’s also a whole section for social or sporting events. “Private Tourism” is a good option.

1m43s: Now for the potentially awkward sequence of questions about whether you meet Czech and wider Schengen area admissibility conditions.

For the last of these, you can select from:

2m03s: “Please select the return date.” A calendar pops up, you can click forward to following months, but you will not be able to stay more than 90 days.

2m09s: “Do you have travel insurance?” I suspect many arrivals, for example on Prague stag and hen adventures, will answer “yes" even if the correct answer is “no”.

The UK government insists: “Medical insurance will not be a mandatory requirement for UK citizens travelling to the EU under EES. However, we strongly recommend that all passengers purchase comprehensive travel insurance, including medical cover, before travelling abroad.”

2m19s: After you press “Continue”, the system asks you to wait for seven seconds while it (presumably) communicates with the EU database.

2m26s: “Thank you for your time. You’re all set! Please go to one of the following border control counters to perform the manual border check.”

A final reminder that the EES is simply an extra layer of bureaucracy on top of the existing border control process – at least until April 2026.

Listen to Simon Calder’s latest podcast as he talks through the entry-exit system process at Prague airport