Navigating Europe’s New Border System (EES) with a Child Under 12

I just got back from a spring break trip to Spain and happened to arrive right as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) was being rolled out. After landing, we made our way to border control, where several kiosks had been set up. At the kiosk, I answered a few questions and then provided fingerprints and a photo. Since I was traveling with a child under 12, we were then directed to a separate line to speak with an officer. The officer reviewed her passport and confirmed that my information had been submitted successfully. My daughter was disappointed to learn that this new system is replacing traditional passport stamps. We were told that the biometric data is stored, so future entries should be quicker.

There were no lines for us as no other plane had arrived around the same time. I have heard and read that your arrival time can be impacted with long lines.

Tip: If you’re traveling with a child under 12, skip the kiosk and go directly to a line for an officer instead—the officer can take your biometrics for you when you get to the front.

If you’d like to hear more about our trip to Spain, follow along on Instagram—I’ll be sharing plenty over the next few weeks, including where we stayed, the cities we explored, travel gear that made things easier with my daughter as we traveled by rail, tours we loved, food recommendations, and more.