Bilbao Port in northern Spain is the latest port of entry to roll out the new EES system for travellers from outside of the EU, highlighting how it’s not just airports that have new passport checks for UK tourists and other third-country citizens.
Bilbao Port in the Basque Country has become the latest Spanish travel hub to start using the new EES system for non-EU residents.
The rollout of EES in Bilbao is the latest in a series of Spanish airports and ports phasing in the new border technology.
Bilbao offers several weekly services to the UK and Ireland, including to Portsmouth and Rosslare.
READ ALSO: What will new EES border checks mean for non-EU residents in Europe?
The news was shared by the British Embassy in Spain, which on Thursday December 11th posted on its Facebook page ‘Brits in Spain’ to warn UK nationals that Bilbao is now also using the new biometric border system.
“If you are a visitor, your fingerprints and photo may be taken at the border,” the UK Embassy in Madrid wrote.
“Please note that EES registration is being introduced gradually — not all passengers will be asked to register, and machines may not always be in use.”
READ ALSO: Spain’s Tenerife South Airport implements EES border checks
Bilbao Port follows several major Spanish airports in implementing the new border system. Madrid Barajas airport was the first to start trialling EES on October 12th.
This was followed by three other smaller airports – Seville, Tenerife North and Burgos. Then Málaga airport started testing the new system on October 12th.
Then came the addition of Barcelona earlier this week on October 27th and Gran Canaria from October 29th.
Alicante-Elche rolled out EES on October 31st and Tenerife Sur on November 6th and Lanzarote on November 12th.
Advertisement
EES
The new passport checks started being implemented in many European countries on October 12th and will be rolled out across much of the bloc for the next six months until April 10th 2026.
To be exact, this affects the 29 European countries that form part of the Schengen Area – all those in the European Union except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
It essentially means more checks for those from third countries – such as having photographs and fingerprints taken – and will record entries and exits from the Schengen Area for third-country nationals.
It gathers and stores:
Details from your travel document (e.g. full name, nationality, date of birth, passport number).
The date, time, and location of your entry and exit.
Your facial image and fingerprints (“biometric data”).
Any record of refused entry, where applicable.
Once the process is complete, passport stamps will be eliminated.
Crucially, if you’re a non-EU citizen but are a resident in Spain, you will not have to register for EES, but you still have to queue in third-country national queue if flying in from outside of the Schengen Area.
READ ALSO: What ferry routes are available between Spain and the UK and Ireland?
