The new rules for entering EU countries, including the Republic of Croatia, will begin to apply from October 10, when the new Entry/Exit System – EES should start operating, which will not apply to EU citizens, including and Croatian citizens, regardless of place of residence.
It is a system for registering data on entry and exit and data on refusal of entry for certain citizens of third countries who cross the external borders of the member states, said Feni from the MUP of the Republic of Croatia.
As they stated, the EES is being established to further improve the management of external borders, and especially to check whether the provisions on the permitted period of stay on the territory of the member states are being followed.
– This system electronically registers the time and place of entry and exit of third-country nationals who are allowed a short-term stay on the territory of the member states and calculates the duration of their permitted stay. In addition, this system will replace the obligation to stamp the passports of citizens of third countries – according to the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia.
Furthermore, as they point out, through the EES system, the fingerprints of the four fingers of the right hand and the facial image of citizens of third countries exempted from the obligation to have a long-term visa will be registered, in order to enable accurate verification and identification, thus ensuring that the citizen of a third country is not already registered under another identity or on the basis of another travel document.
They note that children under the age of 12 are exempt from the obligation to provide fingerprints and point out that no fee is paid.
On the other hand, the establishment of the ETIAS system at the EU level is planned for the first half of 2025, and it applies to travelers who are exempt from the visa regime.
– It will enable an assessment (prior to the person’s arrival at the border crossing) whether the presence of certain third-country nationals on the territory of the Member States would represent a security risk, a risk of illegal immigration or a high risk of an epidemic. For this purpose, a travel authorization is introduced, and the conditions and procedures for issuing or refusing this authorization are determined – the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia points out.
As they state, the applicant pays a travel authorization fee in the amount of 7 euros for each application, and the authorization is valid for 3 years.
Persons under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 are exempt from the obligation to pay the travel authorization fee.
– Please note that the ETIAS system and the EES system do not apply to EU citizens, including citizens of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of their place of residence – said the Croatian Ministry of Interior.
They added that a central way of reporting to the public is currently being negotiated through expert working groups in Brussels, related to the establishment of the EES and ETIAS system, since the same rules will apply to all member countries.
Therefore, comprehensive and detailed information at the EU level should soon be available, which will include a detailed procedure schedule, exceptions and all other information useful for all citizens.
