The European Union has begun rolling out a new digital border control system, causing delays at several crossings as travellers undergo biometric checks under the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The system, which came into force at midnight across the Schengen area, replaces passport stamping for non-EU nationals with electronic registration of entries and exits.
Under the new rules, travellers from third countries are required to have their photographs taken and fingerprints recorded upon entry, with facial images captured again when leaving the bloc.
Croatia’s Interior Ministry said more than 3.75 million records had already been created as part of a phased rollout that began last October.
Officials say the system will allow authorities to track how long individuals stay in the EU and identify those who overstay, addressing gaps in previous systems that did not link entry and exit data across member states.
“It was previously almost impossible to track someone who entered in one country and exited in another,” Interior Minister Davor Božinović said, adding that the new system centralises such information.
However, the introduction has led to congestion at key border crossings, including Bajakovo on Croatia’s eastern frontier, where long queues formed amid increased travel linked to the weekend and religious holidays.
Travellers reported waiting for hours, with some saying they were unaware of the new procedures.
Officials said the initial process may take longer but is expected to become faster over time, as biometric data will only need to be fully recorded once. On subsequent crossings, travellers will typically only be required to provide a facial image.
Authorities say the primary aim of the system is to strengthen security and improve monitoring of migration flows.
Police also reported an early case in which a Bulgarian national was identified as using two identities, detected through the new biometric system.