After the EU launched its Entry/Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls on October 12th, how is travel to and from Italy affected?

The European Union began the rollout of out its much-delayed automated border check system known as EES on Sunday, October 12th.

Here's what people travelling to and from Italy should expect.

What is EES?

The EES is an enhanced biometric passport check designed to replace manual passport stamping.

It doesn't change anything in terms of the visas or documents required for travel, or the rights of travellers, but it does change how the EU's and Schengen area's external borders are policed.

It's essentially a security upgrade, replacing the current system that relies on border guards with stamps with an electronic scan in, scan out system that will register more details such as immigration status and ensure visitors don't go over the 90-day rule.

READ ALSO: Travel to Italy: Your questions answered about EES and ETIAS

The EES will only be used on the Schengen area's external borders - so you won't encounter it for travel between Italy and Germany, for example, but you will if you fly into Italy from the US.

Once you've registered, you won't need to register again for another three years (or until you get a new passport), although you will still be subject to EES checks each time you cross the border.

How does it work?

When non-EU travellers first enter the Schengen area, they will need to register with the EES by sharing their name, biometric data (fingerprints and face scan) and the date and place of entry and exit.

Exactly how the data is collected may vary slightly depending on your method of travel and which checkpoint you pass through.

Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages Rome's airports, told The Local that it had installed 210 self-service kiosks at Rome Fiumicino and 22 at Rome Ciampino for passengers to register their data.

When will the system be up and running?

The EES will be gradually rolled out over the course of six months between October 12th and April 10th, 2026.

Italy's state police said that the system would launch at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa airport and the ports of Genoa and Civitavecchia on October 12th. Although it was not clear if all arrivals would be forced to register at the EES kiosks from day one.

All the country's other border checkpoints will activate the EES on October 20th, it said.

While the system ought to be in place to some extent at all of Italy's external checkpoints by this date, it may take some time for individual border stations to get it fully up and running.

READ ALSO: When will the EU's new border checks be enforced for travel to Italy?

Am I exempt?

EES does not apply to EU or Schengen area citizens, foreign residents of EU/Schengen countries, or those with long stay visas.

You can find a full list of exemptions here.

EU/Schengen citizens should simply go to the EU passport gate and proceed as normal.

Non-EU residents of an EU country are advised to go to a manned gate and present their passport and residency documents together.

READ ALSO: What should residents in Italy do once EES passport checks start?

How do prove I am legally resident in Italy to avoid EES checks?

If you have either an Italian permesso di soggiorno (residency permit) or a visa, then you can use this to prove your are exempt from EES checks. So you'll need to travel with it.

If you were waiting for the card to be renewed, you can use the receipt as proof of your residency status. Long-stay visa holders will have the visa in their passports.

This presents a problem for some travellers, as many airports largely use automated passport gates which cannot record both a passport and a residency permit. In other words you are advised to go to a manned border post.

This has long been the case for British residents who need to travel with proof of their pre-Brexit status in Italy in order to avoid getting their passports incorrectly stamped.

You don't have to: you can simply turn up at the checkpoint with your documents and register your information in person.

To avoid delays when the system first launches, the EU's border agency Frontex has created the Travel to Europe app.

It allows passengers to 'pre-register' their document details and facial image and fill out an entry questionnaire at least 72 hours before travelling. However as of October 12th the app was only available for use for travel in and out of Sweden. It is not clear when other countries will roll out the app.

Can I opt out?

Those who don't want to provide their fingerprints and facial scans for EES checks simply won't be allowed to travel.

The EU says: "If you refuse to provide your biometric data, you will be denied entry into the territory of the European countries using the EES."

READ ALSO: Can I opt out of giving biometrics under EU's new border checks?

The Commission says the EES follows strict EU data protection laws and is supervised both by national data protection authorities and the European Data Protection Supervisor.

Travellers have the right to request access to their EES record and to ask for corrections if data is wrong or incomplete. They can also request deletion of unlawfully processed data.

Q&A: How will the EU's new EES border checks affect travel to Italy?