Fingerprint and Facial Photo Registration Begins for Entry to Europe...Full Implementation by April Next Year

Registration Required for Non-EU Nationals on Short-Term Visits and Border Crossings
Aimed at Crime Prevention and Combating Illegal Stays
Embassy Warns: "Waiting Times May Increase"

The European Union (EU) began the phased implementation of a new entry and exit system on October 12, 2025 (local time), requiring individuals who do not hold the nationality of an EU member state to provide fingerprint or facial information when entering European countries.

According to foreign media outlets such as DPA, the European Commission announced that the new system, which will collect travelers' data and be used to respond to crime, started being applied from this date.

This is an automated IT system that requires non-EU nationals making short-term visits to register biometric information, such as fingerprints, each time they cross the external borders of European countries.

The system will be implemented in 29 countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees free movement within Europe. In Germany, for example, it will start at D?sseldorf Airport and gradually expand, with several major countries introducing it in phases before full implementation begins in April next year, six months after the initial rollout.

According to a notice from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Belgium, the new system aims to modernize border checks, prevent illegal stays, and strengthen security in the Schengen area. After the implementation date, travelers crossing the border of an EU member state for the first time will have their fingerprints scanned or a facial photo taken by a border officer, and the collected personal information will be stored as a digital file.

For travelers crossing the border two or more times thereafter, the border officer will only need to verify the previously registered fingerprints and photo, as the information is already on file. Those required to register are non-EU nationals who hold a short-term visa or are visiting without a visa.

Among non-EU nationals, direct family members of EU nationals who possess a residence permit in a European country that has adopted the new system, as well as those with a residence permit or long-term visa, are exempt from registration.

The embassy advised, "During the initial phase of implementation, waiting times and congestion at border crossings are expected to increase, so we recommend allowing ample time for your travels."