Starting next Wednesday, November 19th, 2025, Palma de Mallorca Airport will take an important step in its modernization: the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) will officially come into operation.
This change is not only technical but also symbolic. It will replace the traditional passport stamps with a more secure and efficient digital record, especially for travelers arriving from outside the EU/Schengen area—mainly British tourists, but also Americans, Canadians, and visitors from the Middle East and Asia.
The EES is a digital system designed to strengthen security at the external borders of the Schengen area. Every time a non-EU traveler enters or leaves, their biometric data—such as a photo and fingerprints—will be recorded together with their passport information. This automatic registration makes it much easier to monitor how long each traveler stays within the Schengen zone and to detect whether they exceed the 90-day limit within any 180-day period.
In Spain, the system comes with a significant investment: the Ministry of the Interior has allocated around 83 million euros to adapt all border checkpoints to the EES, which officially entered into force on October 12th.
At Palma Airport, the new control points are already installed and ready to receive travelers. There will be self-service kiosks where passengers can scan their passport, have their photo taken, and provide up to four fingerprints the first time they go through the system.
However, as the system is introduced and everyone gets used to it, the process may take a little longer than usual. Travelers are advised to allow extra time for check-in and security procedures.
For visitors coming to Mallorca, this means some practical changes. If it’s your first time traveling with your passport after the system is implemented, you’ll need to complete your biometric registration on arrival. On future trips—if you use the same passport and your data is still valid—you’ll only need to scan it to confirm your identity; you won’t have to provide your fingerprints again.
For travelers arriving in Mallorca from outside the Schengen Area, this is a significant change but also an opportunity. The system aims to make border checks faster and more accurate, always under the supervision of border officers.
The EES will run through a transition phase and will operate alongside the old passport-stamping system until April 2026, when it is expected to fully replace it.
Beyond improving security, the EES also aims to modernize and automate border controls, reduce errors, and streamline the process. It will help authorities manage traveler flows more efficiently, coordinate border checks across Schengen countries, and closely track how long each person stays to prevent overstays. Indirectly, it also responds to the growing demand for a more precise and unified migration-control system.