Croatia’s border police are fully prepared for the implementation of the new European Entry/Exit System (EES), which comes into effect on Sunday, October 12, according to Denis Kukec, a representative of Croatia’s Interior Ministry Border Administration.
“We have the most modern equipment installed in our control booths, as well as mobile devices to manage traffic during peak times. Therefore, we do not expect any delays or major congestion compared to regular days,” Kukec told Croatian Radio Television (HRT).
Croatia, a member of the European Union since 2013, borders Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, all of which are EU membership candidates.
The new EES system aims to replace manual passport stamping at all EU airports, ports, and land border crossings between EU and non-EU countries.
The Entry/Exit System applies to all non-EU nationals who do not hold residence permits in the Schengen Area. It will digitally record entries and exits across EU borders, including passport data, fingerprints, and facial images, for travelers entering the EU for short stays.
The system will be implemented in 25 EU member states, excluding Cyprus and Ireland, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, which are not EU members but are part of the Schengen Zone.
Originally planned for 2023 and 2024, the system’s launch was delayed due to concerns from several large EU member states about the readiness of the unified data-processing infrastructure. It will now gradually become operational and is expected to be fully functional by April 10, 2026.
During the six-month transition period, passports will continue to be stamped manually until all border points begin collecting biometric data.