What Awaits Kazakhstanis Traveling to Europe

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan announces changes to the entry rules for the Schengen Area. The EES (Entry/Exit System), an automated digital registry for crossing borders by third-country nationals, has become fully operational across 29 Schengen Member States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan has issued an official statement, urging citizens to familiarize themselves with the new requirements.

Biometric Control and New Regulations

The new system completely replaces the manual passport stamping procedure during border crossings. Now, upon first entry into any country within the Schengen Area, foreign nationals are required to provide the following data:

 Personal passport details;

 Biometric data (facial image and fingerprints);

 The date and place of entry and exit.

This data will be stored in a unified system for up to three years. The system will also record instances where entry has been denied. According to the official regulations, fingerprints will not be collected from children under the age of 12.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the new procedure involves identity verification through facial imaging and is aimed at simplifying the border-crossing process in the future. However, refusal to provide biometric data will result in a ban from entering the Schengen Area.

During the initial phase of the system's deployment, document verification times at border control checkpoints—particularly at the first point of entry—may increase. In light of this, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommend that transit passengers allocate additional time for layovers between flights.

To expedite the border-crossing process, the European Union has developed a dedicated mobile application. Passengers can pre-upload their passport details and biometric photos to this application no earlier than 72 hours prior to arrival. However, utilizing the mobile application does not exempt citizens from undergoing mandatory in-person border control.

As noted by Alibek Bakayev, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in an interview with media representatives, the ongoing efforts do not aim for a complete Schengen visa waiver for citizens of Kazakhstan, but rather focus on facilitating and simplifying visa issuance procedures. The Kazakh side plans to conclude official negotiations with the Schengen countries in the second half of 2026.