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:
- October 12, 2025: The EES rollout begins. Collection of biometric data of non-Schengen/non-EU passengers at border crossing points starts — this process will be progressively rolled out to cover all the external borders by April 9, 2026. There are no carrier obligations at this stage.
- January 10, 2026: The eu-LISA carrier interface becomes available. We advise operators to opt for voluntary queries during this anticipated phase in order to test the system and receive training. Contact us to activate our service.
- April 10, 2026: The EES goes live in full. From this date, carrier queries become mandatory. Operators must get confirmation of travel permissions before boarding. (End of visa physical stamping. All entries are recorded into the EES).
- Until October 6, 2026: Carriers must continue manual stamp verification alongside EES queries, ensuring a transition period until visa that have been stamped – prior to April 10th – have all expired.
