In short: the EES entry exit system has been running at every external Schengen border since 10 April 2026. Not everyone gets fingerprinted, and who is exempt depends mostly on one thing: your residence card. If you hold a valid Spanish TIE, you are exempt and no biometric data is taken from you.
What the EES does: it electronically logs when a non-EU short-stay traveller enters and leaves the Schengen area, taking fingerprints and a facial photo. Since launch, the system has already recorded more than 145 million entries and exits.
Who is exempt from registration:
- Holders of a valid residence permit or long-stay visa from a Schengen State, including the Spanish TIE, except those issued by Cyprus or Ireland (those two States don't take part in the system).
- Family members of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen travelling with their residence card. Without it, they ARE registered.
- Passport holders from Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Holy See (Vatican).
Who IS registered: any non-EU short-stay traveller without an applicable residence permit or long-stay visa, and the family members above when travelling without their card.
For the complete rules on travelling across the rest of Schengen with your TIE (documents to carry, the 90/180-day limit), see our guide [[viajar-schengen-con-residencia]].
Official source: European Commission — Home Affairs, EES fully operational; full exemption list (portal, requires JavaScript): travel-europe.europa.eu/ees. Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.
