From Friday, 10 April, European Union member states, including Croatia, will begin full implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES), marking the transition to a fully digital system for recording crossings at the external borders of the Schengen Area.
Croatia’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the system’s gradual rollout has now been completed and border crossings will be recorded exclusively through the new digital platform.
According to Interior Minister Davor Božinović, the change will not affect Croatian citizens or other EU nationals.
“For citizens of Croatia and other EU member states there are no changes, apart from increased security. The main changes apply to travellers from third countries,” Božinović said in a statement on Facebook.
Passport stamps replaced by digital records
Under the new system, the traditional stamping of passports for non-EU travellers will be replaced by digital registration.
Authorities will electronically record travel document details along with biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images. The system automatically logs the date and location of entry and exit, the length of permitted stay and any refusal of entry.
Officials say the digital platform will allow authorities to track the duration of stays more accurately, detect overstays automatically and make it harder to use forged travel documents. More
