New Entry/Exit System Implemented at KEF
Today marks the launch of the new Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) at Keflavik Airport. Self-service kiosks connected to the Entry/Exit system have been ready in the terminal at Keflavík Airport for some time. Passengers may have seen them, wrapped in plastic, in the border control hall. They will now be put into use.
The rollout of the new departure system will take place in phases and is expected to be fully implemented by April 2026.
The project is led by the office of the National Police Commissioner of Icelandic and will replace the manual stamping of passports. Instead, the registration of travelers entering or leaving the Schengen Area from non-Schengen countries will be handled digitally, using fingerprints and facial images of arriving passengers.
The European Union has been developing this electronic registration system in recent years to enhance border management across the Schengen Area. The implementation of the new system will begin on 12 October at all external Schengen borders, including Iceland’s.