The system can detect compliance with the 90/180-day rule by replacing passport stamps with digital records, including biometric data such as fingerprints and facial scans.

EES, besides checking overstays, was also created to strengthen security and prevent identity fraud, potentially speeding up border checks. The figures were announced in February, when Henrik Nielsen shared them with MEPs in the European Parliament.

According to the official, the system has logged 17 million travellers, 30 million border crossings, and has already issued 16,000 entry refusals in the first four months of the EES's application.