The voluntary Carrier interface supporting a phased rollout of eu-LISA’s pre-departure traveller screening has started integrating carriers into the EU’s digital border management strategy.
Compulsory participation from carriers will be imposed by April,10, 2026, consolidating commitment to the obligations of the Entry/Exit System, and eventually the ETIAS system.
This year air carriers will be automatically expected to implement a plan for the Entry/Exit System. By April, air carriers operating flights from a third country to one of the EU states participating in the programme will have to be dutiful to the verification processes linked to EES, checking third-country nationals travelling on a short-stay visa. They will assess the number of authorised entries allowed on their short-term visa.
To verify if travellers have used their count of authorised entries, carriers can reference the eu-LISA carrier interface via the mobile app, web portal or visa stamps in passports during the transition period.
Has Stage 1 of EES been implemented now?
Yes, Stage 1 of the Entry/Exit System was introduced in October 2025, with member states progressively replacing passport stamping with electronic entry records.
Eu-LISA manages large-scale IT infrastructure supporting border management across 29 Schengen states. ETIAS is expected in October 2026.
