In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe’s border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed.
Overall, more than 66 million entries and exits of non-EU nationals were recorded, and 32,000 people were refused entry in the Schengen territory since the EES was first launched last October.
Of these some 7,000 were due to overstays, referring to people who stayed beyond their permitted time limit in the Schengen area.
The EU didn’t give a breakdown on the reasons why the 7,000 were classed as overstayers but in general that would include those who have stayed beyond their permitted visa limits and those who broke the Schengen area’s ’90-day rule’, which allows many non-EU travellers to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period.
Penalties for over-staying include a fine but also the more draconian measure of being banned from entering the EU.
Nearly 800 people were also stopped at the Schengen’s borders because they were considered a threat to internal security, the Commission said.
The figures were included in the annual EU’s State of Schengen report, released by the Commission this week.
READ ALSO: ‘Trend will continue’ – Number of people refused entry to Europe sees sharp rise
EES roll out has ‘experienced challenges’
The EES, which has gradually been introduced since October is aimed at increasing security at EU/Schengen borders.
EES digitally registers non-EU nationals and shares in real time information about who crosses EU borders, when and where, as well as information about refusals of entry, across Schengen countries. It replaces the manual stamping of passports.
As of April 10th, the system was supposed to be fully operational but it remains out of action for travellers in many places, particular the main entry points to France from the UK.
The EU Commission said that “during the progressive start, the vast majority of Schengen States implemented the EES effectively, with most countries surpassing the required thresholds of registrations.”
But several locations reported long queues at the border and the Commission recognised that some countries “experienced challenges related to infrastructure, for example with the functioning of self-service systems, the capacity to fully register the biometric data, and the congestion of flights in specific time slots.”
“The option to temporarily suspend the operations of the EES, either fully or partially, was exercised only on a limited number of occasions,” the report added.
Airports and the travel industry have been warning about possible delays and called for flexibility on the implementation of the system over the peak travel season in summer.
Among the priorities outlined for 2026-2027, the report mentions the upcoming launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will require short-term visitors to register and obtain a travel authorisation before departure. This is expected at the end of the year.
“Preparations are progressing, with coordinated efforts underway at EU and national levels to ensure ETIAS’ effective roll-out. Early involvement of travel industry stakeholders is crucial for the success of this endeavour,” the report says.
The Commission said that in 2025, the Schengen area “continued to be the most visited destination in the world, attracting more than 790 million travellers”.
The 90-day rule
Although EES also has security functions, part of the reason for its introduction is to better track the ’90-day rule’ – which allows non-EU citizens from certain countries (including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) to spend up to 90 days in every 180 in the EU without requiring a visa.
Previously the 90 days were tracked with messy and inconsistent passport stamping, but the EES automatically calculates the length of stay based on entry and exit dates, so over-stayers are instantly flagged the next time they try to cross an EU external border
In early February, drivers from the Western Balkans blocked Schengen border crossings complaining that a stricter enforcement of the 90/180 rule would make regular work in the EU impossible.
UK transport and logistics organisations also urged the Commission to suspend penalties linked to the 90/180 days, warning that this could leave operators short of drivers and disrupt supply chains.
In January this year The Local reported how the European Commission announced it would look into allowing certain non-EU professionals to stay in the EU beyond the current 90/180-day rule
