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Kenyans travelling to Europe to face new border security checks
23rd September, 2025 01:13 PM
The European Union (EU) has introduced a new data collection system at the border points, which it will now subject travellers, including Kenyans, to from October 12, 2025.
The new system, called the Entry/Exit System (EES), is a digital system meant to slowly replace manual passport stamping with biometric registration.
According to the EU official website on travel technical standards, the EES is expected to be fully rolled out by April 10, 2026, meaning that by this date, all non-EU travellers entering or leaving the Schengen zone will have their data digitally captured.
“In the event one is travelling without a visa, the facial image and four fingerprints will be taken, and if one is travelling on a Schengen visa, only the facial image will be collected since fingerprints will already have been recorded during the visa application,” the EU explained.
Kenyans are advised to check with their airlines or embassies before they travel to find out the procedures which will be put in place at their specific points of entry.
The system will be introduced at all external border crossing points in 29 European countries, marking a shift from the paper-based travel records to more advanced digital files which contain detailed personal and biometric data.
“Effectively, the system will affect all non-EU nationals, including Kenyan passport holders who travel to the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 80 days within 180 days,” the travel notice reads.
Who is affected?
The new data collection system will affect all travellers regardless of their purpose for travel, whether it is for tourism, business or visiting family.
Data collected will include personal details from one’s passport, the date and place where you crossed the border and biometric data such as fingerprints and facial features.
Additionally, the new system will record whether a traveller is allowed or refused entry, helping the security officials track overstays and strengthen border management.
“Your travel document data and other personal data will be collected, including your entry and exit dates, and will be registered electronically in the system. This procedure will facilitate your border crossing,” the EU stated.
“If you overstay the period allowed in Europe using EES, the system will identify you and record this information.”
Passport control officers are set to handle most of the data collection at the border. In some locations, self-service kiosks or mobile apps will be made available to help travellers register their data more swiftly.
