EES & ETIAS for diaspora travellers

Short answer

If you enter a Schengen country on a Kosovo, Albanian, US or Canadian passport, EES already applies: on your first crossing since it started, border officers take your fingerprints and a photo instead of stamping your passport. ETIAS does not exist yet, so there is nothing to apply for or pay. If you travel on an EU passport, or hold a residence permit from a Schengen country, neither applies to you. Changing planes in Vienna, Frankfurt or Zurich without leaving the international transit area triggers neither, and flying into Kosovo or Albania is not covered by either system.

Verified · checked on 24 Oct 2026

Source: European Commission: Entry/Exit System

Who needs what, by passport

Verified · checked on 24 Oct 2026

EES covers non-EU nationals on a short stay (up to 90 days in any 180) in the 29 countries using it, whether or not they need a visa. ETIAS will cover visa-exempt nationals visiting 30 countries (the same 29 plus Cyprus). Kosovo, Albania, the United States and Canada are all on the EU's list of visa-exempt nationalities that will need ETIAS.

Passport you travel on	EES (running since 10 Apr 2026)	ETIAS (not started)
Kosovo	Yes. 4 fingerprints and a photo on first entry	Will be needed. Only with a biometric passport; other Kosovo passports need a visa
Albania	Yes. 4 fingerprints and a photo on first entry	Will be needed. Only with a biometric passport; other Albanian passports need a visa
United States	Yes. 4 fingerprints and a photo on first entry	Will be needed
Canada	Yes. 4 fingerprints and a photo on first entry	Will be needed
Dual citizen with an EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian or Swiss passport	No, as long as you travel on that passport	No. The EU says you must use that passport for the trip
Dual citizen with no EU or Schengen-country passport (e.g. US and Kosovo)	Yes, on whichever passport you use	Will be needed, linked to the passport you travel on
Any non-EU passport plus a residence permit from a Schengen country (e.g. Germany or Switzerland)	No. Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas are exempt	No (a permit issued by Cyprus does not count for the other countries)

Sources: EES 'What is the EES?' and 'To whom does the EES not apply?'; ETIAS 'Who should apply' and 'What you need to apply'. All read 24 Oct 2026. Fingerprints are not taken from children under 12.

Last checked: 24 Oct 2026 · Source: EU: What is the EES? · EU: To whom does the EES not apply? · EU: Who should apply for ETIAS · EU: What you need to apply for ETIAS

Connecting through Istanbul, Vienna, Frankfurt or Zurich

Verified · checked on 24 Oct 2026

Istanbul (IST): Türkiye is not on either list, so neither EES nor ETIAS applies to a connection there. Türkiye's own transit rules are not covered here.

Vienna (VIE), Frankfurt (FRA) and Zurich (ZRH): Austria, Germany and Switzerland use EES and will require ETIAS. The EU says that if you stay in the airport's international transit area you are not registered in EES and will not need ETIAS. If you pass through passport control, for example to change terminals or airports or to stop over, EES registration happens there, and once ETIAS starts you will need it.

Kosovo and Albania are not among the countries using EES or requiring ETIAS, so a flight that ends in Prishtina or Tirana is not covered by either. For their own entry rules, see our entry rules guide.

Hub	Country uses EES / will require ETIAS?	Staying airside to PRN or TIA	Passing passport control
IST Istanbul	No / No	Neither applies	Neither applies
VIE Vienna	Yes / Yes	No EES registration, no ETIAS	EES registration; ETIAS once it starts
FRA Frankfurt	Yes / Yes	No EES registration, no ETIAS	EES registration; ETIAS once it starts
ZRH Zurich	Yes / Yes	No EES registration, no ETIAS	EES registration; ETIAS once it starts

Unknown: whether your own connection keeps you airside depends on the airport, terminal and ticket. The EU pages do not say, so ask your airline or the airport. Applies to non-EU passports without a Schengen residence permit.

Last checked: 24 Oct 2026 · Source: EU: Flying to Europe with ETIAS (transit) · EU: Travel to Europe app FAQ, question 6 on transit (PDF)

What happens at the border with EES

Verified · checked on 24 Oct 2026

The European Commission says EES became fully operational at all external Schengen border crossings on 10 April 2026, after a gradual start from 12 October 2025. It replaces passport stamps with a digital record of your entries and exits.

The first time you cross after EES started, officers take your photo and, if you do not need a visa, 4 fingerprints. On later trips they only check them, which is quicker. Your passport is not stamped. Biometric and non-biometric passports are both accepted, but you need a biometric one to use self-service kiosks where they exist.

The 90 days in any 180 are counted as one period across all 29 countries, and EES records overstays and refusals of entry automatically.

Last checked: 24 Oct 2026 · Source: European Commission: EES fully operational (10 Apr 2026) · EU: How does the EES work? · EU: EES frequently asked questions

ETIAS: what it will be, and what is not known

Unknown · checked on 24 Oct 2026

Unknown: the start date. On 24 October 2026 the official ETIAS site says it is not in operation, no applications are collected, and the EU will announce the date several months before launch. An EU news article from April 2025 said 'starting in the last quarter of 2026'; no current official page gives a date.

Verified, once it starts: it costs EUR 20 (free under 18 and over 70), is applied for only on the official ETIAS website or app, is linked to one passport, and lasts up to 3 years or until that passport expires. A new passport needs a new ETIAS. Most decisions should take minutes; some up to 4 days, or longer if more documents or an interview are requested.

Since no applications are being collected, any site taking money for ETIAS today is not the official system.

Last checked: 24 Oct 2026 · Source: Official ETIAS site: What is ETIAS · European Commission: ETIAS

Frequently asked questions

Do I need ETIAS to fly home to Kosovo or Albania?

Not today: ETIAS has not started (official ETIAS site, 24 Oct 2026). Kosovo and Albania are not ETIAS countries. After ETIAS starts, you will need it only if you enter one of the 30 ETIAS countries, not if you stay in the international transit area while changing planes.

Will my Kosovo passport be stamped in Germany or Austria?

No. Since 10 April 2026, EES has replaced passport stamping at Schengen external borders. On your first entry you give a photo and 4 fingerprints instead.

I have German (or Swiss) residence and a Kosovo passport. Does EES apply?

No. The EU lists holders of residence permits and long-stay visas among the people EES does not apply to, and residence-permit holders from ETIAS countries (except Cyprus) will not need ETIAS.

I am a dual US and Kosovo citizen with no EU passport. Which passport should I use?

Either way you are a non-EU national, so EES applies on entry to a Schengen country. Once ETIAS starts it is linked to one passport, and you must travel on the same passport you used to apply.

Do children give fingerprints?

Children under 12 are registered in EES but their fingerprints are not scanned, according to the EU's EES FAQ.

How much will ETIAS cost, and can I apply now?

EUR 20, free for under-18s and over-70s. You cannot apply now: no applications are collected until the EU announces a start date.

Sources

Checked 24 Oct 2026. Rules change; always confirm with the official source before you travel.

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EES and ETIAS for diaspora travellers: who needs what

Who needs what, by passport

Connecting through Istanbul, Vienna, Frankfurt or Zurich

What happens at the border with EES

ETIAS: what it will be, and what is not known

Frequently asked questions

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