Missing EES departure records raise concerns over false overstay flags
Dozens of readers have reported similar problems to UK consumer publication Which?, which has warned about errors in the EU’s digital border records.
UK consumer rights publication Which? has warned that missing departure records in the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) could lead to travellers being mistakenly flagged as overstayers. It said dozens of readers had reported similar difficulties.
When an exit is not recorded, the system keeps adding days to a traveller’s stay in the Schengen zone despite their departure. Travellers receive no direct notification of the apparent overstay, and errors are frequently discovered during border checks.
British writer Jojo Moyes discovered in Marseille in October that her departure after a May trip to Portugal was missing from the records. Officials warned her that another visit before the mistake was resolved could result in a €10,000 fine and a two-year ban.
The EES began its rollout in October 2025 and became compulsory in 29 countries on 10 April 2026. Digital entry and departure records replace passport stamps in EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland, and also cover Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The system was introduced to detect overstayers automatically, with non-EU citizens allowed to spend up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
