EES: What the new border system means if you live in Switzerland

In short

The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running at every external border of the Schengen area since 10 April 2026, including Switzerland. It started step by step on 12 October 2025.
It registers travellers from outside the EU and EFTA who come for a short stay: up to 90 days in any 180 days. Instead of a stamp, their fingerprints and a facial image are stored.
If you hold a residence permit from a Schengen country, you are not registered, and that includes a Swiss permit. You still show your passport and permit at the border.

What is the EES?

The EES is an electronic register at the Schengen area's external borders, for example at Zurich airport when you fly back from Dubai, Colombo or Istanbul. It stores your name and passport details, fingerprints and a facial image, the date and place of each entry and exit, and any refusal of entry.

According to the European Commission, the EES has replaced passport stamps since 10 April 2026. It counts days automatically and detects people who stay longer than allowed.

Who is registered?

Nationals of countries outside the EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway who travel to the Schengen area for a short stay, with or without a visa.

A typical example: your parents from Sri Lanka, India or Türkiye visit you in Switzerland. They are registered in the EES when they arrive, and their days are counted across the whole Schengen area.

Citizens of Switzerland, the EU, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway are not affected.

I live in Switzerland with a permit. What applies to me?

The European Commission says that holders of a residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a country that uses the EES are not registered. No fingerprints or facial images are taken. Switzerland uses the EES, so your Swiss permit counts.

Normal border checks still apply: show your passport together with your residence permit card.

Family members of EU or EFTA citizens who hold a residence card are exempt too, even when they travel alone. Without such a card, they are registered.

Practical tips

Always carry your permit card when you leave the Schengen area, for example on holiday in Dubai, Türkiye or your home country. Without it, the border check may treat you as a short-stay visitor.
Check the expiry date: if your permit card runs out soon, deal with the renewal before you travel.
Visitors from abroad: tell your guests that fingerprints and a photo are taken on their first entry, and that their days are added up across the whole Schengen area.
ETIAS is something else: the new ETIAS travel authorisation has not started yet. See our article on ETIAS.