New EU entry rules slow down border crossings, Kyiv warns
Krakovets border crossing (Photo: REUTERS/Pavlo Palamarchuk)
Motorists crossing from Ukraine into Poland at the Krakovets checkpoint are facing longer wait times after the EU launched its new digital Entry/Exit System (EES), Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said on Oct. 20.
The service advised travelers to expect delays and, if possible, use less busy crossings.
The EES, is an automated IT platform that registers citizens of non-EU, non-Schengen Area countries—including Ukraine—who travel to the 26-country Schengen Area for short stays. It replaces passport stamps with a digital record of biometric data and travel dates.
On their first entry into the Schengen zone, travelers must undergo an extended registration process that includes taking a photo and fingerprints scans. On subsequent crossings, the system will automatically verify visitors against stored data, speeding up border checks. EES will record the date, time, and place of each entry and exit.
The Ukrainian Border Guard Service said the system will improve border control, provide an accurate count of foreign visitors’ stays, and help combat illegal migration.
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