eu-LISA: information on registered carriers for EES implementation

5 October 2022: During the meeting at the end of July with DG HOME, eu-LISA and the carriers DG HOME announced they would share the list of registered carriers for EES (Entry/Exit System) implementation, which was released in September and is available for download from the top right of this page (for members only).

Carriers were also informed of the updated planning regarding the entry-into-operation of EES and ETIAS. On 11 July 2022 the JHA Council endorsed a revised timeline whereby the entry-into-operation of EES is shifted to mid-May 2023 and of ETIAS to mid-November 2023 at the latest.

In addition, the European Commission is working on a progressive approach for the go-live of EES with the objective to reduce as much as possible the length of queues at border crossing points at the launch of EES. The transitional period with the specific exception rules is estimated to last up nine months after the EiO.

The Commission is considering measures such as the continued stamping of passports for three more months after the entry-into-operation of EES, allowing the carriers to check the status of the traveller in the passports in case the data cannot be checked via the Carrier Interface due to a technical impossibility.

Furthermore, during this period national authorities would be allowed, under exceptional circumstances, to create incomplete EES files with obligatory capturing of solely alphanumeric data (i.e. no requirement to capture also biometric data). 

With regard to the new timeline for the EES and ETIAS entry-into-operation, the activities of the carriers will be scheduled as follows:

• The first milestone is the technical entry-into-operation of EES that is scheduled to the end of March 2023 by when all the involved stakeholders and the EES System shall be ready for the go live.
• The second milestone is the actual entry-into-operation of EES that is scheduled to mid-May 2023 (the exact date depends on actual readiness) by when the EES System and the Carriers Interface will start to be used in production mode.

Please keep in mind that this information should be handled only on corporate information and communication systems and not on personal devices.

In case of questions please contact EULISA-CARRIERS@eulisa.europa.eu.