The European Union has confirmed that the new Schengen entry and departure system will go into effect on November 10 of this year. These changes will affect approximately sixty nations, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose citizens will have a different method of crossing the border into EU countries. At the border, travellers will be asked to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and a photograph of their face.
The primary modifications include the implementation of the “Entry/Exit System (EES)” and the “European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)”. These systems represent online forms that passport holders from non-EU nations must complete and pay a fee before accessing EU countries. The EES system monitors travellers’ time and place of stay in the EU to guarantee that they do not stay for more than 90 days in a six-month period. When crossing the border for the first time, biometric information will be collected, eliminating the requirement to stamp passports at the border crossing. This decreases the risk of identity theft and enables holders of travel papers who frequently cross the border to avoid periodic replacement of passports due to the filling of all pages with stamps. The ETIAS system is also an online form that collects information on the travel document and place of residence for a cost of 7 euros. This form is valid for up to three years, or until the travel document is replaced.
The EES system will be active by November 10 of this year, according to EU plans, whereas the ETIAS system won’t be online until mid-2025.
Bosnian and Herzegovinian citizens will be able to use the newly revealed technologies, provided they have travel documents of the newest generation that have full biometrics. Considering that these forms are available online, IDDEEA BiH anticipates a rise in the demand for qualified electronic signatures, which it made available to BiH residents in July of this year.
These new measures aim to make it harder for criminals or terrorists to enter the European Union with fake passports.