Latvia Launches New Border Control System To Improve Efficiency And Security For Third-country Nationals With Digital Data Collection From October 2025

Published on September 30, 2025

Starting connected October 12, 2025, Latvia will present a groundbreaking Entry/Exit System (EES) aimed astatine streamlining nan separator power process for third-country nationals walking to nan European Union. This system, designed to modernize separator management, will switch nan accepted passport stamp method pinch a digital registration that collects basal accusation connected travelers entering, exiting, aliases being refused introduction into nan country. This measurement is portion of a broader EU-wide initiative to amended security, separator efficiency, and facilitate safe recreation wrong nan Schengen Area.

The caller strategy will cod biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, on pinch travel archive information and travel dates, to thief border authorities place imaginable risks. The EES will let much precise search of third-country nationals’ movements wrong nan Schengen area, enhancing nan security of some Latvia and different European nations. This inaugural besides ensures that travel data is automatically exchanged among participating EU Member States for amended separator power coordination.

The EES will beryllium gradually introduced successful 29 European countries, marking a awesome displacement towards modernized separator procedures for world visitors, peculiarly those staying for short-term visits. This digital approach will importantly trim waiting times astatine separator checkpoints and summation nan wide ratio of separator power processes.

Key Highlights of Latvia’s New Entry/Exit System:

• Implementation Date: The EES strategy will beryllium implemented successful Latvia starting connected October 12, 2025, pinch gradual rollouts successful 29 EU countries.
• Biometric Data Collection: The strategy will cod fingerprints and facial images to fortify information measures and streamline separator control.
• Digital Registration of Entries and Exits: Traditional passport stamps will beryllium replaced by digital registration, improving nan ratio of separator management.
• Automatic Calculation of Stay: The EES will thief separator authorities way nan permitted enactment of third-country nationals based connected their recreation dates and supply real-time information.
• Full Rollout by 2026: By April 10, 2026, nan strategy will beryllium afloat operational, allowing for automatic traveler information exchange crossed EU Member States.

How nan New Entry/Exit System Works:

With nan preamble of nan EES, third-country nationals walking to Latvia and nan broader Schengen Area will nary longer request to trust connected passport stamps for impervious of introduction and exit. Instead, biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition, will beryllium automatically collected upon entering and exiting Latvia. This digital process intends to trim nan paperwork progressive successful separator guidance and velocity up nan introduction process for travelers, while ensuring greater security for EU borders.

During nan first transition period, which runs until April 10, 2026, travelers will proceed to person accepted passport stamps successful summation to their integer registration. The EES will besides way nan 90-day stay limit wrong a 180-day period for short-term stays, ensuring that travelers comply pinch nan visa regulations crossed each Schengen Area countries. However, during this period, travelers will still person to negociate their enactment durations manually, arsenic nan automatic calculation feature won’t beryllium disposable until nan strategy is afloat implemented.

Once afloat operational, nan EES will destruct nan request for beingness passport stamps and create an efficient, automated separator power system. Travelers will nary longer request to hold successful agelong lines for separator checks, and rule enforcement agencies will person entree to amended real-time accusation regarding each traveler’s entry, exit, and position wrong nan Schengen Area.

The Phased Rollout and Transition Period: What Travelers Need to Know

Although nan caller EES strategy will beryllium introduced connected October 12, 2025, travelers should beryllium alert that nan strategy will beryllium implemented gradually. During nan transition period, which ends connected April 10, 2026, third-country nationals will still person entry and exit stamps connected their passports, moreover arsenic their recreation information is being registered successful nan system. This allows for a smoother adjustment to nan caller strategy and ensures that travelers’ archiving remains valid during nan changeover.

After April 10, 2026, each introduction and exit information will beryllium recorded digitally, eliminating nan request for beingness passport stamps, and nan strategy will afloat cipher nan 90-day enactment limit automatically for short-term visits. This digital tracking will make it easier for separator authorities to show compliance and trim nan imaginable for overstays, frankincense enhancing information wrong nan Schengen Area.

EES Registration Requirements:

• Mandatory for Third-Country Nationals: The strategy will use to travelers from third countries who are visiting nan Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days successful immoderate 180-day period.
• Visa and Visa-Free Travelers: All third-country nationals walking pinch a short-term visa aliases visa-free are required to registry successful nan EES system.
• Enhanced Security for All Travelers: By collecting biometric data and recreation details, nan EES will thief amended place travelers and amended information crossed European borders.

Benefits of nan New EES for Travelers and Border Authorities

The preamble of nan EES strategy will use some travelers and separator authorities by improving nan ratio of border power processes and enhancing nan security of nan Schengen Area. For travelers, nan caller strategy will supply a much efficient and faster separator crossing experience. With nan automatic tracking of entries, exits, and enactment durations, travelers will nary longer request to interest astir manually search their clip spent successful nan Schengen Area, reducing nan consequence of overstaying and simplifying their recreation experience.

For separator authorities, nan EES will supply a centralized, real-time database of traveler accusation that tin beryllium easy accessed and analyzed. This information will thief rule enforcement agencies identify information risks and guarantee that travelers comply pinch nan ineligible requirements of their stays, helping to support safe and unafraid borders for all.

Conclusion: A Modernized Border Control System for a Safer and More Efficient Europe

Latvia’s implementation of nan Entry/Exit System (EES) is an important measurement toward modernizing border management successful nan Schengen Area. With nan postulation of biometric data and nan integer registration of entries and exits, nan EES promises to streamline nan separator power process, heighten security, and amended nan wide travel experience for third-country nationals visiting Europe.

As nan strategy is gradually rolled retired crossed 29 European countries by April 10, 2026, travelers tin expect a smoother, faster, and much secure recreation experience erstwhile entering and exiting nan Schengen Area. By replacing accepted passport stamps pinch integer tracking, nan EES strategy represents a important advancement successful border security and travel efficiency, paving nan measurement for a caller era of world recreation wrong Europe.