The European Union is preparing to implement an updated border control system that requires the mandatory collection of biometric data from all third-country nationals when crossing the border. The details of this initiative were shared by Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
This is reported by Finway
What Will Change for Travelers Starting in October
From October 12, a system will be in place at the external borders of the EU that requires facial scanning, fingerprinting, and recording of passport data for every person entering or exiting EU countries. This also applies to Ukrainian citizens. All this data will be stored in a special database that will be continuously updated and will contain information about all border crossings.
“The European Union aims to modernize its database to connect different countries, enhance security, and enable border guards from various countries, particularly at the external borders of the Schengen Area, to monitor the entry and exit of third-country nationals, including Ukrainians, who are entering, exiting, or residing in European countries,” said the spokesperson.
Implementation Features and Possible Delays
The spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service notes that the system may not be implemented simultaneously in all EU countries. For instance, Poland has already begun testing the new procedure, while other states may gradually join after October 12. Demchenko emphasizes that the collection of biometric data and additional checks may increase the time required to cross the border. This could particularly affect the initial stages when the system is still being tested.
The procedure will need to be followed every time when entering and exiting EU countries, not just during the first border crossing. The goal of the new measures is to enhance identity verification and provide additional security at the external borders of the Schengen Area.
Demchenko advises citizens to consider the likelihood of increased processing times during travels to EU countries, as the process may be prolonged due to the new verification stages. However, it is expected that after the testing phase, the system will operate more quickly.