eu-LISA, EES, ETIAS explained

eu-LISA

eu-LISA stands for European Union Large-scale IT Systems Agency. More precisely, eu-Lisa is the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice​.This agency can be viewed as the IT department of the European Union. It is the entity in charge of the deployment and operations of the EES and ETIAS system.

EES

The Entry-Exit system (EES) electronically records the entry and exit data of third-country nationals* (non-Schengen nationals) crossing the external borders of the Schengen Area. EES implies changes to carriers’ processes regarding the verification of travel documents. Instead of verifying visas physically on passports, carriers must check it through the EES carrier system by getting the EES status. EES status indicates whether the passenger has a valid – single or double entry – visa and is allowed to arrive in the Schengen area.

* travelers who do not hold the nationality of a country in the European Union or the nationality of Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.

The EES rollout has begun on October 12th, 2025. See below for carrier obligations at each rollout phase.

ETIAS

ETIAS is expected to launch by the end of 2026.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) has been created to enable the implementation of Travel Authorization for visa-exempt travelers visiting the EU. visa-exempt travelers wishing to enter the EU will have to obtain an official Travel Authorization via an online process prior to their trip. The ETIAS will manage this process and store the Travel Authorizations delivered.

Carriers obligations

With EES, carriers will have to query the euLISA carrier interface to obtain the authorization status of all Third Country Nationals entering and exiting the Schengen states before boarding. If you have activated our EES service, Streamlane will automate EES checks directly from your flight management system or via our web portal.

The EES rollout began October 12th, 2025. The rollout phases bring the following obligations for carriers:

Is a private flight subject to checks obligations ?

The check should be done, especially if the flight operations is outsourced to a professional OCC or Trip Support company.

What the regulation and official EES FAQ say:

“Any natural or legal person whose occupation is to provide passenger transport by air, sea or land (Article 1 of CISA) is considered a carrier and is obliged to verify travellers who are in scope of the carrier interface (Non-schengen Nationals subject to visa). However, natural or legal persons that use privately owned aircraft and do not transport passengers as their profession are not considered carriers and do not need to query the carrier interface.”

In simple terms, a private flight where the owner is flying for personal use fits the definition of “not transporting passengers as a profession.” In this scenario, a formal query is unnecessary. The aircraft owner assumes full personal responsibility for their own travel documents and those of their guests. Since the owner is not a commercial entity providing a service to the public, the burden of verification remains a private matter rather than a regulatory requirement.

Nevertheless, if operation of a private flight is outsourced to another entity, even not strictly identified as a “carrier” (such as OCC, trip support provider) performing the query is highly recommended :

• Best Practice & Service: It ensures your passengers have valid visas, preventing stressful denials and complications at the border.
• Regulatory Safeguard: It protects the operating entity in the event that local authorities interpret the “Carrier” definition more broadly.