Europe's new registration system comes into effect today. Here's how that affects Aussie travellers

Australians travelling to Europe could face longer queues at the border as a new registration system for non-EU nationals begins today.

Europe's new EES (Entry/Exit System) was rolled out on October 12 and is now fully implemented.

Non-EU nationals who enter a European zone of 29 countries, known as the Schengen Zone, will have to register and have their fingerprint and photo taken as part of a new digital border management system.

Here's everything you need to know.

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What is the EES?

The European Union announced the creation of a new Entry/Exit System (EES) last year.

It began to be gradually rolled out on October 12.

It requires non-EU citizens travelling for a short stay (90 days or less) to register with an internal system.

The system will collect passport data, travel documents and other personal data, which will be stored electronically.

For the purposes of the EES, 'non-EU national' means a traveller who does not hold the nationality of any European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

What is the Schengen Zone?

The Schengen Zone is made up of 29 countries - most of which are located in the EU - that allow travellers to move freely between other Schengen countries without going through border controls or getting a visa for each country.

Every country in the Schengen Zone will have to follow the EES system.

The countries are listed below:

EU Member States in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Romania.

Non-EU Countries in the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Notably, the United Kingdom, which left the EU in 2020, is not part of the Schengen Area, meaning all people entering the country must go through border control.

Australia is not a Schengen country.

Why has it changed?

According to the EU, the EES will make travelling in the Schengen Zone more efficient, as it will replace passport stamps with a modern digital system recording the entry and exit of travellers.

They also say it will prevent irregular migration and use biometric data to stop those with fake identities or who are overstaying in the Schengen Zone.

The EES will also give border and law enforcement more access to traveller information, which they claim will help find security risks in the fight against terrorism and other crime.

The International Air Transport Association, which represents hundreds of global airlines, said it was concerned about the new system.

"There is a complete disconnect that EES is working well, and the reality, which is that non-EU travellers are experiencing massive delays and inconvenience," the association said in a statement.

"We need to be realistic about what will happen during the peak summer months, when traffic at Europe's airports doubles."

What will Aussies need to do when travelling to Europe?

Aussies will have to provide their personal data including their passport, and also scan their fingerprints and get a photo of their face taken.

The process can be made quicker if they use a self-service system if available at their location, or they can use a mobile app if it's made available by their country of arrival or departure.

A smartraveller government alert said: "You'll need to register at borders and have your fingerprint and photo taken. There may be longer border queues".

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