Fingerprint and photo scans to be fully enforced for American travelers headed to one continent

European vacation destinations will begin requiring all travelers to have prints of their fingers taken, as well as photos, upon arrival in a new screening process.

France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom and 25 other countries began implementing a new Entry/Exit System (EES) on Oct. 12 - and come April 10, it will be fully enforced.  

The program will be introduced "in phases," officials say. 

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"These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints," the European Union's (EU) website notes.

"This means that biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and [travelers'] personal information may not be registered in the system," it continued.

Manual passport stamping is being replaced by automatic digital registration.

"As passport stamping will no longer exist once the EES is operational, carriers must use an online interface to perform these checks instead," reads the EU site.

It's anticipated that the new policy will help modernize border management across Europe, including security improvements to combat fraud and terrorism.

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The system will be able to track if visitors overstay their welcome in the Schengen Area, which is a zone of 29 European countries that allow movement.

A self-service system is offered for those with a biometric passport, which contains a "chip" of the personal biometric information collected.

This time last year - in March 2025 - nearly 1.6 million Americans traveled to Europe, according to the International Trade Administration.

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Roughly 16 to 18 million Americans traveled to Europe in all of 2025, according to industry estimates. 

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The U.S. is one of Europe's biggest tourism markets, according to the World Tourism Guide.