What changes with EU's new Entry/Exit border system?

The EU's long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital registration tool for visitors to Europe, finally launches on Sunday after multiple delays.

What happens on October 12?

Non-European travellers arriving in all EU countries - with the exception of Cyprus and Ireland, who are not in the Schengen zone - will be asked to show their passport and have their fingerprints and photo taken at border checkpoints

This information will also be required upon arrival in Schengen member nations Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and will be stored for three years in most cases

It will be collected at the first time of entry after the EES is introduced. For future trips, passport control officers will check travellers' fingerprints and photo against the database - a procedure which, according to the EU, takes less time

The system will be phased in over a six-month period until April 10, 2026

The largest European countries, such as France and Germany, will initially only carry out a handful of checks in order to avoid huge queues at airports

The changes will impact visitors from countries with visa-free travel to Europe, such as Britain, Australia, the United States and much of South America

Will there be delays?

There are concerns the collection of this new data could cause long queues in airports and train stations

British travellers will be among the most affected given their strong transport links to the EU, but operators such as those in charge of the undersea rail tunnel between France and England are confident things will run smoothly

What are the benefits to Europeans?

The European Commission said the changes will help "to prevent irregular migration and help protect the security of everyone living in or travelling to Europe"

The full implementation of the EES is a prerequisite to introduce another scheme for third-country nationals entering the EU. This is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is expected to be put in place next year

ETIAS is an electronic travel authorisation for the Schengen area, similar to the American ESTA system. Third-country nationals will have to fill out an online form before travelling to the EU, pay a fee and wait for approval.

Passengers without a valid ETIAS permit may be prevented from boarding a flight or denied entry to the Schengen area