New EU entry system: SBGS reported on the situation at the border after the introduction of the EES program

In October, the European Union introduced the EES (Entry/Exit System) - an information system where all citizens from non-EU countries will be registered every time they exit or enter the EU. The State Border Guard Service told a journalist from UNN how checkpoints on the border between Ukraine and the European Union are adapting to the new system and whether this changes the situation at the border.

New rules for crossing the border with the EU

Representatives of the European Commission announced new changes in July of this year, which will come into force on October 12, 2025. According to the changes, a new information EES system is being created, where all citizens from non-EU countries will be registered every time they exit or enter the EU. The EES system was approved at the legislative level in 2017.

The changes concern states that are part of the Schengen area (25 EU states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). This will apply to citizens of third countries who wish to travel to the aforementioned states with a short-stay visa or citizens who do not need a visa.

EES is part of the European Union's "Smart Borders" package, the main goal of which is to improve control over EU borders. In addition to the EES system, the package includes the expanded use of EU Automatic Border Control (ABC) systems, as well as the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).

EES System

The European Union has introduced a new entry-exit system, which also provides for the collection of biometric data. This system began to be implemented in European and Schengen countries on October 12. But this does not mean that all checkpoints were immediately connected to this system from that day. In general, the European Union gave six months for connection

- Demchenko explained.

Demchenko emphasized that the connection of checkpoints on the border with Hungary and Poland to the specified system has now been completed.

If we talk about European countries bordering Ukraine, then gradually checkpoints in Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland are connecting to this system. As of now, all checkpoints in Hungary on the border with Ukraine are connected to this system. And on the border with Poland, the last direction, opposite the Yahodyn checkpoint, according to information from Polish colleagues, was supposed to connect to this system. Before that, other checkpoints were connecting

- said the spokesman of the State Border Guard Service.

EES for Ukrainians

Andriy Demchenko emphasized that currently not all citizens of Ukraine immediately undergo this data collection. In general, the European Union has given Ukraine six months to implement the EES system.

Situation at the border

The spokesman added that currently, at those checkpoints where the EES system is connected, no complications are observed.

At Ukrainian checkpoints, even opposite those European countries where the EES system is connected, we do not see any complications in traffic. That is, a decrease in passenger traffic, or complications in movement for citizens, is not observed. In general, passenger traffic is dynamic, and an increase in passenger traffic precisely affects the formation of queues

- Demchenko stated.

The border guard added that since the beginning of autumn, passenger traffic at the border has been falling. It increased in both directions only during the autumn holidays at the end of October.

In general, starting from September 1, passenger traffic, on the contrary, is falling. Recently, it only tended to increase when there were autumn holidays in Ukrainian schools last week. Then the number of people wishing to cross the border increased, primarily women and children. Even classes and groups left Ukraine. At the beginning of the holidays, the number of border crossings for exit from Ukraine increased. This past weekend, the number of crossings for entry into Ukraine prevailed more

- Demchenko noted.

Andriy Demchenko also reported that as of today, the total number of border crossings in both directions on weekdays is 80,000 in both directions. On weekends, passenger traffic, of course, increases somewhat, and this weekend it will remain at about 100,000 crossings.

Let me remind you that in the summer months, when passenger traffic was particularly high. For example, in August, on weekdays, 120-125 thousand citizens crossed the border, and on weekends, passenger traffic increased to 150 thousand crossings

- Demchenko summarized.

- Demchenko explained.

Нагадаємо: Україна та Латвія підписали Меморандум про оборонно-промислове співробітництво.