Starting Sunday, October 12, Croatia will introduce a new control system at border crossings for citizens of countries outside the Schengen area, which could cause congestion at the borders with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
This marks the start of the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), which digitally records data on the entry and exit of so-called third-country nationals and replaces the previous manual stamping of passports.
The EES electronically records the time and place of entry and exit of third-country nationals with a short-term residence permit, calculates the remaining permitted period of stay, and collects biometric data - a facial photograph and four fingerprints of the right hand.
Children under the age of 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. On subsequent arrivals, identity is confirmed by comparing the existing photo from the system with the image from the travel document, which speeds up the control, the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) points out.
The system will be applied at all international border crossings, including those temporarily designated for international traffic under an agreement with BiH.
Gradual implementation at border crossings
Initially, registration in the EES will be available for a minimum of four hours a day, gradually extending to 24-hour application over six months.
Special EES lanes will be designated for passengers from third countries, but during times of greater congestion the system will operate in all lanes.
In addition to the EES, Croatia also introduces the National Facilitation Program (NPO) for travelers from third countries who often cross the border and do not pose a security risk.
NPO participants will be able to pass through faster because upon re-entry, no new biometric recording will be performed - the system will compare the photo from the travel document with the one already stored in the EES.
Self-service kiosks at airports
EES kiosks will be available at the airports in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar and Rijeka and are intended for travelers entering the Schengen area for the first time and who have not yet created an EES file.
The procedure includes scanning the travel document, taking facial biometrics and fingerprints, and a short questionnaire, with support in 15 languages.
The introduction of EES will likely extend the duration of controls at road crossings, especially for passengers entering the system for the first time and having to exit the vehicle to create an EES file and verify identity.
However, the Ministry of Interior expects that the wait times will decrease once the system becomes routine and a larger number of passengers receive personal EES files.
Photo: HINA/Damir Senčar
