The European Union's Entry & Exit System, which became fully operational in April 2026, aims to increase border security and enforce the 90-day rule for visa-exempt travellers. This rule permits non-EU nationals, including those from the UK, to spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen zone without a short-stay visa. The allowance is shared across all Schengen countries rather than applying separately to Germany, replacing traditional passport stamping with digital entry and exit records.
However, some travellers have reported incomplete or inaccurate records at Schengen borders, resulting in them being wrongly identified as overstaying their allowance. To help monitor this, the European Commission provides an online tool where travellers can enter their passport number and trip details to check their remaining allowance. The platform contains transition-related blind spots, such as not reflecting time spent in the Schengen area that began before April 10th, 2026. Travellers are advised to keep their own private records of travels and use them alongside the online calculator.
Common errors in the system include missing exit records that make it appear a traveller exceeded their permitted stay, and residency permit or long-stay visa holders being incorrectly registered. Non-EU nationals with a qualifying residence permit or national long-stay visa issued by a Schengen country, including Germany, are exempt from the EES and should ensure their status is clear at borders. If information associated with a travel document is inaccurate or incomplete, individuals have the right to request access to their underlying record and ask for corrections.
Travellers can contact the controller for the relevant country where the error was made or where they last travelled. In Germany, the Federal Office of Administration provides an EES access-request service via the email address [email protected]. Enquiries should explain which travel record is believed to be wrong, provide correct dates, and include proof of departure such as a boarding pass or ticket.
The Federal Office of Administration states that access requests are processed within 45 days of receipt. Those needing to travel within that timeframe should carry evidence of recent journeys into and out of Schengen to show actual entry and exit dates as a precaution. Holders of qualifying German residence permits or long-stay visas are governed by their specific documents, though ordinary visits to other Schengen countries remain subject to the standard 90-day limit.
Source: The Local. Read the original report ↗