After a gradual introduction since October 12, 2025, the new Schengen Immigration Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-Schengen nationals entering the area is fully operational as of April 10.
This digital system replaces the system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU; European Member States record when non-EU and non-Schengen Area nationals cross the borders into the Schengen Area.
What Does This Mean for Yacht Crew?
Professional Yachting Association reached out to EU officials and met with the French immigration administration to discuss the system and about non-Schengen nationals joining a vessel in the Schengen Area.
The PYA shared: “In theory, nothing has changed for non-Schengen nationals — other than the fact that they are digitally stamped in (not in their passport) when they enter a Schengen border and digitally stamped out (not in their passport) when they board their vessel, and vice versa.
Individuals who require a visa will still need a visa and their passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the planned end of stay in the Schengen Area.”
Things Crew Should Know
When a non-Schengen national arrives at a Schengen border, their passport is scanned into the system with the date of entry. As with the old system, the crew member should then go to the immigration office local to their vessel to present their passport and be “stamped out” to join the vessel, and the reverse should be done when the crew leaves the yacht to fly outside the Schengen Area.
The crucial difference is that only customs & immigration and the border police have access to the digital system, so crew will have no visible proof to show they are legally in the Schengen Area and within the number of allocated days. It’s the crew member’s responsibility to make sure they’re within the limitations of the immigration law. Because there’s no official way to prove this, the PYA recommends to keep a record of your entry and exit dates, whether on paper, keeping copies of boarding passes, or any other methods to document coming in and out of Schengen borders.
Should a non-Schengen national exceed their number of allotted days, there are a number of possibilities, including: if trying to be stamped back in to leave the boat, the immigration officer is likely to refuse and ask the captain to sail the vessel to a non-Schengen country for the crew member to disembark; if going to the airport or any other border to exit, a note will be inserted into their file and affect their next attempt to enter the Schengen area. They can be declined re-entry or must wait 90 days outside the area before they can re-enter.
PYA notes that Italy is implementing a different procedure where they are requesting vessels depart Italian waters within 10 days, in order for crew to be stamped out, but non-Italian officials have told PYA that this “application of the new EES is not in line with the Schengen Code.”
The previously announced European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for those who don’t need a visa will be implemented toward the end of 2026.