EES operational, ETIAS delayed: biometric checks at Schengen borders and the Polish diaspora (2026)

As of April 2026, the EES system is fully operational at all external borders of the Schengen Area – including Polish airports – replacing passport stamps with biometric registration (fingerprints and facial photos), and the 90-day stay limit is now calculated automatically. For Polish citizens with Polish passports, nothing changes. However, for hundreds of thousands of people with Polish roots traveling exclusively on American, Canadian, or British passports – as well as for foreign spouses – a lot changes. Additionally, the summer of 2026 brought long queues at airports and further delays in the ETIAS system. We explain who exactly is affected by the EES, how the 90/180 counter works, what to expect at the border with Germany – and what to do if parents want to stay in Poland longer than 3 months.

What is EES and what does it register

The EES (Entry/Exit System) is a European Union system that records every crossing of the external border by citizens of non-EU countries coming for short-term stays. It includes 29 countries: 25 EU countries (all except Cyprus and Ireland) as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The system records: name and surname, travel document details, fingerprints and facial photos, date and place of each entry and exit, and refusals of entry. Passport stamps are now a thing of the past.

• The first border crossing after the system starts means full biometric registration – which takes longer. Subsequent travels only require faster verification.
• Data is stored for 3 years from the last exit – and if the system does not record an exit (exceeding the allowed stay), 5 years.
• The system automatically detects exceeding the allowed stay – the era of "no stamp, no proof" is definitively over.

Who is NOT affected by EES

This is the most important part for the Polish diaspora. The following are exempt from EES (according to the official list from the Border Guard and the European Commission):

• Citizens of the EU/EEA/Switzerland – including those with dual citizenship, if traveling on a Polish passport or ID card. A Pole with a Polish passport and an American passport who shows the Polish document at the Schengen border does not enter the system at all and is not subject to the 90/180 limit.
• Holders of residence cards and national visas (type D) issued by a Schengen state – for example, an American husband of a Polish citizen with a Polish residence card is not registered in the EES.
• Close family members of EU citizens holding a family member residence card (under Directive 2004/38).
• Citizens of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City, heads of state, holders of small border traffic permits, and some crew members.

90/180 Counter – how it works and how to check it

The rule: a maximum of 90 days of stay in any "rolling" 180-day period, counted cumulatively for the entire area (days spent in Germany, Italy, or – from 2025 – in Romania and Bulgaria count towards the Polish total). The EES now calculates this automatically based on recorded crossings.

Queues – a real problem in summer 2026

According to press reports from July 2026, queues for EES checks at the largest EU airports reach 2–5 hours (worst: Paris CDG, Geneva, Vienna, Madrid), and airline organizations have unsuccessfully appealed to the Commission for the possibility of suspending the system during peak times. In Poland, the biggest reported issues concern Kraków-Balice (media reported waits of up to 5 hours; the airport has installed additional biometric stations). Practical advice: when arriving in Poland on a non-EU passport, arrive at the airport earlier than usual (if transferring in the EU – biometrics await you at the first airport in the area, e.g., in Frankfurt, not in Kraków), and on your first trip after the system starts, allow time for full registration.

ETIAS: delayed again – what is really known

ETIAS is a planned electronic travel authorization (similar to the American ESTA) for citizens of visa-exempt countries – including the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The current status:

• ETIAS is not yet operational and is not collecting any applications. The European Commission removed the planned start date from its website in July 2026 (“fourth quarter of 2026”); according to press reports, the eu-LISA agency deemed a start in 2026 unfeasible, a decision on a new date is expected around September 2026, and the actual start is likely in 2027 – with at least a 6-month transition period during which the lack of ETIAS will not block entry.
• Fee: 20 euros (increased from the originally planned 7 euros by the EC decision in July 2025), authorization valid for 3 years or until the passport expires. Persons under 18 and over 70 do not pay, but will still need authorization.
• Beware of scammers: since the system is not operational, any site claiming to "submit an ETIAS application" is already scamming for money and data. The only source of truth is the European Commission's service (travel-europe.europa.eu).

Border checks with Germany and Lithuania – until October 1, 2026

Regardless of the EES (which applies to external borders), Poland maintains temporary checks at internal borders with Germany and Lithuania – introduced on July 7, 2025, and extended until October 1, 2026 (about 50 control points at the German border and 13 at the Lithuanian; random checks by the Border Guard with police and WOT). Germany conducts its own checks on its side – reportedly extended until mid-September 2026. What this means in practice for the Polish diaspora:

• When flying to Berlin or Frankfurt and traveling by car/bus to Poland, have passports of all travelers with you (an ID card is sufficient for EU citizens) – checks may occur on both sides of the border.
• A person with a US passport undergoes EES registration at the airport in Germany (the first external Schengen border) – at the Polish-German border, it is only a document check.

Five typical scenarios for the Polish diaspora

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