END OF PASSPORT STAMPING AT EU BORDERS

Borders towards Europe are no longer the same – passports are no longer stamped, but every entry and exit is digitally recorded, with mandatory photos and fingerprints. The new EES system has been fully introduced since April at the external borders of the European Union and also applies to citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, instead of speeding up border crossings, the new system has created queues. For this reason, the European Union is introducing a new digital service that could significantly ease border procedures for travelers. It is the “Travel to Europe” app, available for download on Google Play and the Apple Store, designed to reduce congestion and speed up procedures at border crossings. The issue is that it currently operates only in two countries – Sweden and Portugal.

Travelers can now also enter their data in advance through the app to speed up border crossing, and there is strong anticipation for further expansion of the system, especially including Greece, one of the most visited destinations for tourists from Serbia and the region.

The director of the National Association of Travel Agencies (YUTA), Aleksandar Seničić, explains that the app speeds up the procedure because at least at the border, physical data entry is skipped – basic information, passport photo, personal photo, answers to basic questions such as where we are going, how long we are staying, and the purpose of travel.

Even in that case, citizens still have to provide fingerprints. Regarding Greece, it is still unknown whether the app is compatible with their software, but a final answer is expected by May 20.

He says that regarding the implementation of the EES system, citizens thought they would only need to register once, but they must be photographed every time they cross the border.

“The system controls the length of stay, and we cannot expect to cross the border without control,” Seničić said, adding that there is no need to create panic because the procedure is only extended by about one minute. He also advises using alternative, smaller border crossings, RTS reports.