New EU digital Entry/Exit System rolls out on Ukraine–Romania border

From December 10, a new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) for entering and exiting the EU began operating at several checkpoints on the Ukraine–Romania border, per the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

“At the ‘Diakivtsi–Rakovets,’ ‘Krasnoilsk–Vicovu de Sus,’ and ‘Diakove–Halmeu’ checkpoints, foundational and biometric data are already being collected. The ‘Porubne–Siret’ checkpoint will join the system on January 9, 2026. At ‘Solotvyno–Sighetu Marmației,’ the system has been operating since October 12, while other Romanian checkpoints will be connected starting March 10, 2026,” Caliber.Az quotes the state service’s statement on Telegram.

The procedure involves scanning passports, taking photographs, and capturing fingerprints of third-country nationals (fingerprints are not collected from children under 12). Upon the first crossing, a digital record is created, and data are automatically verified on subsequent crossings. The procedure for crossing the border for citizens remains unchanged.

In November, the State Border Guard Service reported that all checkpoints on the borders with Poland and Hungary had already been connected to the new system.

The EES (Entry/Exit System) is an automated centralised database designed to electronically track border crossings without stamping passports. EU border authorities are rolling it out gradually over a six-month transition period.

By Khagan Isayev