Entry/Exit System (EES)
The Entry/Exit System (EES) replaces the manual stamping of passports of travellers from third countries. The EES database holds data on third country nationals entering and exiting the Schengen area.
Note: The EES is not yet active. When it does, this page will be updated to inform you how and where to exercise your rights.
On this page
What is the EES?
The EES, short for Entry/Exit-System, is an automated and digital system that holds data on travellers entering and exiting the Schengen area from and to third countries (non-EU countries). It concerns the external borders of the Schengen area, including airports and seaports. The EES replaces the manual stamping of passports of travellers from and to third countries. The EES will be introduced in stages.
The EES automatically calculates the duration of the permitted stay of travellers. Member States are notified when this period has expired. Refusals of entry into the Schengen area are also registered, as well as the EU Member State that issued the refusal.
Purpose of the EES
The purpose of the EES is to make border controls easier and more efficient. The EES identifies travellers from third countries who are not or no longer permitted to stay in the Schengen area, or those who are using false identity documents. In addition, the aim of the EES is to contribute to the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorism and other serious offences.
Legal basis of the EES
The legal basis for and functioning of the EES can be found in the EES Regulation of the EU.
Which travellers are registered in the EES?
The EES records data of travellers (with or without a visa) from countries outside the Schengen area, who travel to the Schengen area for a short stay of no more than 90 days within a 180-day period. There are some exceptional cases in which a traveller will not be registered in the EES. You can read more about this on the website of the EU.
Citizens of Schengen countries are not registered in the EES. Therefore, there are no data of Dutch citizens in the EES.
Personal data in the EES
The EES contains the following data of a traveller:
- Personal data from travel documents, such as name and date of birth;
- Date and place of entry into the Schengen area and of exiting the Schengen area;
- Facial image and fingerprints (biometric data);
- For some persons: refusal of entry into the Schengen area.
Biometric data
The EES contains fingerprints of citizens from third countries who do not need a visa. If you do need a visa to enter the Schengen area, your fingerprints have already been stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) and will then not be stored in the EES as well.
How long are data retained in the EES?
Travellers’ data in the EES are retained for a period between three and five years. The exact retention period depends on the data category:
| Data concerning arrival, departure and refusal of entry | 3 years |
| Individual travellers’ case files | 3 years |
| If the date of departure is unknown | 5 years, starting from the last day of the permitted duration of the stay. |
After these periods, travellers’ data are deleted automatically.
Who has access to the EES?
Access to the EES is restricted to the competent national authorities of the Schengen countries. In the Netherlands, these authorities are:
- Border Control: Customs, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Sea Ports Police;
- Migration and Visa: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND);
- Public Order, Security and Law Enforcement: Police, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and a number of special investigation services. Access for these authorities is subject to strict conditions (Article 32 of the EES Regulation);
- Europol, subject to strict conditions (Article 33 of the EES Regulation).
International Organisations
Subject to strict conditions, EES data may be transferred to third countries or to certain international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Red Cross International Committee.
Your rights when you are registered in the EES
Do you think you are (or may be) registered in the EES? Then you have the right of access to your personal data. That way, you can ask whether you are actually registered in the EES. And if so, which personal data have been registered of you and for what purpose.
Note: The EES is not yet active. When it does, this page will be updated to inform you how and where to exercise your rights.
If any data about you in the EES are incorrect or unjustly included, you have the right to ask for rectification or deletion of your data.
Have you asked for your data to be changed, but the request has yet to be assessed? Then you can ask the authority to temporarily stop using your personal data. This is called the right to restriction of processing.
You may ask for access to, rectification, deletion or restriction of processing of your personal data in any Schengen country. See Privacy rights under the GDPR for more information about your privacy rights under the GDPR and how you can exercise them.
Request for assistance
If you need help with exercising your rights as a data subject, you may ask the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA) for advice or assistance.
If you do not agree with the decision on your request
Did you ask for access to, rectification, deletion or restriction to processing of your personal data in the EES? But are you not satisfied with the decision on (answer to) your request? Or did you not receive any reply at all? Then you can submit a complaint to the authority that handled your request.
Do you feel that the processing of your personal data in the EES is unjustified? In that case, you can submit a complaint to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA). You can also go to court. Please note that if you go to court, the Dutch DPA has no part in this and cannot give you legal advice.
Supervision of the EES
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA) supervises the processing of personal data by Dutch authorities and on Dutch information systems that are connected to the EES.
The Dutch DPA also supervises the processing of data within the EES itself. To this end, the Dutch DPA cooperates with the national data protection authorities of the other Schengen countries and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).
The supervision of the Dutch DPA includes:
- Inspections at organisations that process data in the EES;
- Periodic audits at organisations that work with the EES;
- Handling complaints or requests for assistance or advice.
Questions about the EES
You can find more information about the EES on the website of the Netherlands Royal Marechaussee and the website of the EU.
Quick answers
What is the EES?
The EES, short for Entry/Exit-System, is an automated and digital system that registers which travellers (with and without visa) are travelling to and from the Schengen area from and to third countries (non-EU countries). The EES replaces the manual stamping of passports of travellers from and to third countries.
Who is registered in the EES?
Only travellers (with and without visa) who are travelling to and from the Schengen area from and to third countries (non-EU countries) (some exceptions apply). Dutch citizens are therefore not registered in the system.
Which (personal) data are registered in the EES?
The EES contains the following data of a traveller:
- Personal data from travel documents, such as name and date of birth;
- Date and place of entry into the Schengen area and of exiting the Schengen area;
- Facial image and fingerprints (biometric data);
- For some persons: refusal of entry into the Schengen area.
How can I find out whether I am registered in the EES?
Do you think your personal data are (or may be) registered in the EES? Then you have the right of access to your personal data. That way, you can ask whether you are actually registered in the EES. And if so, which personal data of you have been registered in the EES and for what purpose.
How can I make a request for access to, rectification, deletion or restriction of processing of my personal data in the EES?
If (you feel that) your personal data in the EES are (or may be) incorrect or unjustly included, you have the right to ask for rectification or deletion of your personal data.
Have you asked for your data to be changed, but the request has yet to be assessed? Then you can ask the authority to temporarily stop using your personal data. This is called the right to restriction of processing.
You may ask for access to, rectification, deletion or restriction of processing of your personal data in any Schengen country.