Lithuanian airports were among the first in Europe to intall new system

Lithuanian airports are among the first in the European Union to have completed all necessary preparations for the new EU entry/exit system, although the exact date of its entry into force is still unknown.

Commenting on the work done so far to implement EES at Lithuanian airports, Vidas Kršanas, Director of the Lithuanian Airport Security Department, said that it will be easier for passengers to go through border control as self-service terminals and information screens have been installed at each airport.

He also noted that Lithuanian authorities have carefully planned new areas where additional checks will take place and have modeled processes to manage passenger flow and convenience.

"Once the checks begin, third-country nationals will not only receive detailed information on the procedures to be followed, but will also be able to perform most services completely independently in the self-service terminals," Ksanas said.

The Entry/Exit System is a new traveler security system created by the European Union in an effort to keep track of who is entering and leaving member states. The system will register everyone entering and leaving EU territory through new infrastructure to be implemented by member states at their external borders, including airports and land borders.

The system will collect and verify biometric and personal data, including fingerprints and facial images, of third-country travelers entering the EU for the first time after the system is implemented.

The system was supposed to go into effect in May 2023, but the agency in charge of managing it warned that implementation would be delayed until the end of the year due to the unpreparedness of some third parties.