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Fingerprint scans coming for American travelers to most of Europe in new policy

30 Sep 2025 By foxnews

European vacation destinations will soon require travelers to have prints of their fingers taken as well as photos upon arrival.

France, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom and 25 other countries will begin implementing the new Entry/Exit System (EES) on Oct. 12 over the course of about six months.

"These European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints," the European Union's (EU) website notes.

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"This means that biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and their personal information may not be registered in the system," it continued.

Travelers' passports will continue to be stamped as usual, according to the EU.

It's anticipated that the new policy will help modernize border management across Europe, including security improvements to combat fraud and terrorism.

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The system will be able to track if visitors overstay their welcome in the Schengen Area, which is a zone of 29 European countries that allow movement.

A self-service system is offered for those with a biometric passport, which contains a "chip" of the personal biometric information collected.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State shared a public service announcement on its X account.

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"U.S. citizens traveling to most European countries should expect new automated border checks and to have their biodata digitally collected upon arrival and departure," the post read.

The EU states that safeguards are in place to ensure the protection of the data, and that the data "will only be retained in the EES for as long as necessary and for the purpose(s) for which it was collected," reads the site.

If a traveler refuses to provide biometric data, that person will be denied entry.