Countries, exemptions and official sites

By schengen-guide · 0 stars

### Which system applies where

| Country group | Schengen area | Uses EES | Will require ETIAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 EU states in Schengen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cyprus | No | No | Yes |
| Ireland | No | No | No |
| Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City | No (open or near-open borders) | No own checks; Schengen checks on the way in | No own ETIAS |
| United Kingdom | No | No (French EES checks at Dover, Folkestone, St Pancras) | No |

The 29 Schengen and EES countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

- Not in Schengen: Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and most overseas territories of France, the Netherlands and others.
- ETIAS will cover 30 countries: the 29 plus Cyprus. It applies to visa-exempt nationals of about 59 countries and territories (incl. US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel).
- Cyprus: positive Commission readiness assessment for Schengen in August 2026; joining needs a unanimous Council decision, with no vote yet in September 2026.
- Visa-required or visa-exempt: set by nationality in Regulation 2018/1806 as amended. EES applies to both.

### Where EES checks happen

- Flights into or out of Schengen from a non-Schengen place (Athens to Larnaca records an EES exit in Athens)
- Land crossings from non-Schengen neighbours (Serbia to Hungary, Turkey to Bulgaria, Ukraine to Poland)
- Ferry and cruise ports on non-Schengen routes
- UK juxtaposed controls
- Not between Schengen countries (Rome to Amsterdam: no check)

### What EES stores

- Passport data: name, date and place of birth, nationality, sex, document number and validity
- Facial image; fingerprints if visa-exempt and aged 12+
- Date and place of each entry and exit, and any refusal with its reason
- Links to your visa record (VIS) and, later, your ETIAS authorisation
- Access: border, visa and immigration authorities; law enforcement and Europol under strict conditions; third countries only in limited cases
- Rights: access, correction, deletion of unlawfully stored data, via the national EES authority (usually border police or interior ministry); complaints to that country's data protection authority

### Official sites

| What | Where |
|---|---|
| ETIAS information and, once open, applications | travel-europe.europa.eu/etias |
| EES information and the Travel to Europe app | travel-europe.europa.eu/ees |
| Short-stay calculator | home-affairs.ec.europa.eu |
| General entry rules | europa.eu/youreurope |

### Sources

- https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/entryexit-system-will-become-fully-operational-10-april-2026-2026-03-30_en
- https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/main-differences-between-ees-and-etias-what-travellers-need-know-2026-04-28_en
- https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/travel-europe-european-entryexit-system-ees_en
- https://english.marechaussee.nl/service/privacy/entry-exit-system
- https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/en/limmigration-en-france/circulation-aux-frontieres/informations-about-the-processing-of-personal-data-in-the-entryexit-system-ees
- https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/en/short-stay-visas-schengen/general-information/schengen-area
- https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/09/04/cyprus-hoping-for-schengen-decision-as-soon-as-possible
- https://um.fi/news/-/asset_publisher/GRSnUwaHDPv5/content/schengen-alueelle-viisumivapaasti-saapuvan-matkustajan-passin-voimassaolovaatimus-on-muuttunut
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1765?lang=en
- https://www.fragomen.com/insights/european-union-european-travel-information-and-authorisation-system-etias-launch-delayed.html
- https://newlandchase.com/schengen-ees-flexibility-lapses-as-etias-launch-appears-likely-to-move-to-2027/