FAQ

The European Union has prepared a general FAQ on the EU-website https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/faqs-about-ees_en with these subjects:

• What does the progressive start of the EES mean?
• What does the EES do?
• What is the purpose of the EES?
• Which biometric identifiers will the EES store?
• Why is biometric data stored in the EES?
• How does automation ease border crossings for non-EU nationals?
• What kind of passport do you need to use the self-service system?
• Do I need a biometric passport to cross the borders of the European countries using the EES?
• Will I be refused entry if I do not hold a biometric passport?
• Who counts as a family member of EU nationals or of nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland in the EES?
• How does the Entry/Exit System (EES) apply to the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries and their joining family members?
• What kind of derogations from thorough border checks do you benefit from as a non-EU national being granted access to a national facilitation programme?
• How does the EES guarantee that data protection rules, the principle of ‘purpose limitation’ and fundamental rights will be respected?
• What other EU border management information systems are relevant to non-EU nationals?
• What are the obligations on transport carriers for the implementation of the EES?

Q: I have a valid

A long stay in the Schengen Area is longer than 90 days.

an authorisation issued by a Member State or a decision taken by such State which is required with a view to entry for an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States, or for transit through the territory of that Member State or several Member States.

(D-visa) delivered by Belgium, will my data be stored in the EES?

No, you are out of scope of the EES.
 

Q: I have a valid residence card delivered by Belgium, will my data be stored in the EES?

This depends on which type of residence card you have.
If the residence card is mentioned on this website then you are out of scope of the EES: https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/visa-free-residence-permits/visa-free-residence-permits-delivered

Any other type of residence document delivered to you by a Belgian municipality does not put you out of scope of the EES, for example “Attestation d’immatriculation / Attest van Immatriculatie” or “Annexe 19ter / Bijlage 19ter”. This means that your data will be stored in the EES if you are a

Country or territory outside the European Union, as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the right to free movement within the EU, as defined by Article 2(5) of the Schengen Borders Code.

national travelling for a

A short stay in the Schengen Area cannot exceed 90 days within each 180-day period.

(=maximum 90 days in any 180 day period).

Q: Brexit: I recently launched a demand to the Belgian authorities to become a Beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement.  Will my data be stored in the EES?

This depends which type of document you have: 

If you currently have a certificate of application “Bijlage 56 / Annexe 56” then you are still within the scope of the EES. However, when travelling you have to show this document “Bijlage 56 / Annexe 56” on your own initiative to the border guard. By doing so the

any public official assigned, in accordance with national law, to a border crossing point or along the border or the immediate vicinity of that border who carries out, in accordance with national law, border control tasks.

knows that you have a certificate which is mentioned by Belgium under Annex 43 of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards[1], meaning that the automatic EES-calculator will not be applicable for you.

However, if you already have a M-card delivered by Belgium, then you are out of scope of the EES. This also applies for any other residence card which is mentioned on this website: https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/visa-free-residence-permits/visa-free-residence-permits-delivered

Q: I have a valid special residence card delivered by the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. Will my data be stored in the EES?

No, persons  having a type C, D, E, P or S-card delivered by the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs are outside of the scope of the EES. You can find specimen of these cards on https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/visa-free-residence-permits/visa-free-residence-permits-delivered

Q:  How long does the EES keep my personal data?

You can verify the Q&A named “How long does the EES keep your personal data?” on the website of the EU https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/data-held-ees_en.

Q: In the past an EES-file was created for me. Recently I received a residence card by the Belgian authorities. What actions do I have to take to have my EES-file deleted?

Nothing, the Belgian authorities will automatically delete your EES file on the condition that the residence card is mentioned on this website https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/visa-free-residence-permits/visa-free-residence-permits-delivered

Q: In the past an EES-file was created for me. Recently I received a special residence card by the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. What actions do I have to take to have my EES-file deleted?

Nothing, the Belgian authorities will automatically delete your EES file on the condition that the special residence card is mentioned on this website https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/visa-free-residence-permits/visa-free-residence-permits-delivered

Q: In the past an EES-file was created for me. Recently I received a

A long stay in the Schengen Area is longer than 90 days.

an authorisation issued by a Member State or a decision taken by such State which is required with a view to entry for an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States, or for transit through the territory of that Member State or several Member States.

(D-visa) by the Belgian authorities. What actions do I have to take to have my EES-file deleted?

 Nothing, the Belgian authorities will automatically delete your EES file.

Q: In the past an EES-file was created for me. Recently I obtained the Belgian nationality. What actions do I have to take to have my EES-file deleted?

Nothing, the Belgian authorities will automatically delete your EES file.

Q: I am in possession of a valid Belgian residence card, diplomatic card or D-visa. I have reasons to believe that, after I was already granted such a Belgian document, an EES file was wrongfully created for me when crossing the

External borders are the Schengen States land borders, including river and lake borders, sea borders and their airports, river ports, sea ports and lake ports, provided that they are not internal borders.

. What can I do to verify this?

You can send a mail to border [at] ibz.fgov.be (border[at]ibz[dot]fgov[dot]be) with the following data necessary to analyse your situation: copy of the identity page of your travel document which you have used to cross the border, copy of your residence card and the details of the crossing of the external border (date, border crossing point and member state of border crossing). This will then be analysed and you will receive a response. 

Please note that if there is no connection with Belgium (e.g., residence card from another Member State and border crossing via another Member State), you must submit your question to the Member State that issued the residence card. The Belgian authorities will not take a decision.

Q: Will Belgium apply the EES in all its BCP’s?

Yes, you can find a list of these 13 Belgian BCP’s on https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/information-about-schengen-zone

Q: In which Belgian BCP’s E-gates will be installed?

E-gates are available in Brussels Airport (airport code BRU), Brussels South Charleroi Airport (airport code CRL) and Brussels-South train station (Eurostar trains to London).

Q: Who can use the E-gates in the Belgian BCP’s?

• Belgian citizens from the age of 12 using their passport or their national identity card;
• Citizens of other EU-states from the age of 12 using their passport;
• Citizens of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland from the age of 12 using their passport.

If you fall within these categories, you have the choice between the E-gates and a border guard. The use of E-gates is faster and therefore recommended.

If you do not fall within these categories, you cannot use the E-gates and you have to present yourself to a border guard.

Q: I am travelling with a child younger than 12 years, how will the border control in a Belgian BCP take place?

The control on both persons will be done by a border guard. You and the child should present yourself together to the border guard.

In this case you cannot individually use the E-gates without the child. It is not possible to let the child pass together with you via the

Automated self-service control system used to verify the identity of individuals at checkpoints.

either.

Q: I am a

Country or territory outside the European Union, as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the right to free movement within the EU, as defined by Article 2(5) of the Schengen Borders Code.

national (for example, American, British, Chinese, Canadian, etc…) and I have a residence card or

A long stay in the Schengen Area is longer than 90 days.

an authorisation issued by a Member State or a decision taken by such State which is required with a view to entry for an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States, or for transit through the territory of that Member State or several Member States.

delivered by a Schengen Member State. How will the border control in a Belgian BCP take place?

You will have to present yourself to the border guard. It will not be possible to enter or exit the

twenty-nine member states are part of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia. 

merely by using E-gates. This also applies when your residence card is delivered by Belgium.

When you present yourself to the border guard, please spontaneously show your residence card in addition to your passport to the border guard in order to facilitate the verification process.

Given that you have a residence card or long stay visa delivered by a Schengen Member State, no EES record will be created for you (see FAQ 1 to 4).

Q: I am a third country national (for example, American, British, Chinese, Canadian, etc…) and I have a special card for diplomatic staff delivered by a Schengen Member State. How will the border control in a Belgian BCP take place?

You will have to present yourself to the border guard. It will not be possible to enter or exit the Schengen area merely by using E-gates. This also applies when your special card for diplomatic staff is delivered by Belgium.

When you present yourself to the border guard, do please spontaneously present your special card for diplomatic staff in addition to your passport to the border guard to facilitate the verification process.

Given that you have a special card for diplomatic staff visa delivered by a Schengen Member State, no EES record will be created for you (see FAQ 1 to 4).

Q: I have a double nationality: one nationality is EU or Schengen and the other is a nationality of a third country (for example: double French-British nationality).  How will the border control in a Belgian BCP take place?

Given that you have the nationality of an EU or Schengen Member State, you can cross the border on the basis of your valid passport or valid identity card delivered by that state. No EES record will be created for you (see FAQ 1 to 4).

Where E-gates are available, you can use the E-gates (See further, Q&A “Who can use the E-gates in the Belgian BCP’s”). 

Should no E-gates be available in that BCP or should you prefer to present yourself to a border guard: present only the passport or identity card delivered by the EU or Schengen Member State.

Q: I have a double nationality and both of these nationalities are third country nationalities (for example, American+British or Chinese+Canadian). Which travel document should I show the border guard in a Belgian BCP? 

Present both of your travel documents to the border guard, even if one travel document is expired.

Q: Is there a website or an app where I can pre-register my personal data in the EES prior to my arrival in a Belgian BCP?

No, such a possibility currently does not exist in Belgium.

Q: The EU website https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/national-facilitation-programmes states that Member States can make use of a “national facilitation program”. Does Belgium have a such national facilitation program (article 25 of the EES-regulation)?

 No.

Q: I will be travelling via a Belgian BCP, what practical advice can you provide me to make the journey as smooth as possible?

If you are departing from Belgian territory, we advise you to come to the BCP earlier than in other circumstances.

In all Belgian BCP’s there are the standard Schengen signs who make a distinction between EU and Schengen citizens on the one hand and “all passports” on the other hand.

In certain Belgian BCP’s there are floorwalkers who can assist you in finding the correct route to the border control infrastructure (E-gates or manual border control, depending on your situation). These floorwalkers do not perform border control tasks.

Q: I am a third country national travelling from outside the Schengen area to a Belgian BCP. My intention is to have a

A short stay in the Schengen Area cannot exceed 90 days within each 180-day period.

(=maximum 90 days in any 180-day period) in the Schengen area. What are the other entry conditions, aside from the obligation to provide my biometrical data for the EES?

You can verify these entry conditions via this website https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/entry/border-control/entry-schengen-territory/entry-conditions-short-stay

Q: Where can I find more information concerning the processing of my personal data in the EES by the Immigration Office?

You can find further information by clicking on this link External databases | IBZ, and then by clicking on “Transparency – EES”

Q:  I am a third-country national currently in Belgium where I have a short stay. I do not have a D visa or a residence permit. I am informed that there is a missing entry or exit date for me in the EES. What should I do?

A: The relevant article of the Schengen Borders Code is article 12: “Presumption as regards fulfilment of conditions of duration of short stay“

Do send a mail to border [at] ibz.fgov.be (border[at]ibz.fgov.be) with the following information:

• A scan of the identity page of your travel document;
• If you hold a C visa: a scan of this C visa;
• If you hold a residence permit from Belgium or another Schengen Member State: a scan of this document;

• If your passport contains entry or exit stamps from the past 18 months that were affixed by a Schengen Member State: a scan of these stamps;

• A description of the exact situation:
  • Which entry or exit date do you believe is missing from the EES?
  • What specific journey did you make on that date: a description of your full itinerary, including the departure point, all transit locations, and the final destination of your trip;
  • Please also attach supporting documents (individual boarding pass, booked ticket, …, etc.) for the trip you took on the day of the missing EES registration.  For example: if you travelled from New Delhi Airport to Istanbul Airport and then to Brussels Airport, please attach the supporting documents for both flights.
• If the application involves multiple people (for example: father, mother, and a minor child), you must include the above attachments for each individual person.

This demand to border [at] ibz.fgov.be (border[at]ibz.fgov.be) has to be done in English, Dutch, French or German.

You will then receive a response to your application via email.  While awaiting this response, please do not visit the Immigration Office in Brussels in person without an appointment. Applications are first reviewed remotely.

Then, later on, you will receive a mail with a reply from the Immigration Office. There are three possibilities:

• Possibility 1: No change to the EES is necessary (for example: you fall outside the scope of the EES, or all entry and exit dates are already recorded in the EES).
   
• Possibility 2: A change to the EES was necessary, but the Immigration Office (DVZ) was able to make it remotely. In this case, you will receive written confirmation of the changes that have been made in the EES.
   
• Possibility 3: You receive an invitation to present yourself in person to the Immigration Office (Boulevard Pacheco 44, 1000 Brussels) on a specific date and time. You must confirm via email that you will indeed be present.

• • Any person for whom EES data is missing must report in person on this date. Please bring your travel document. (For example: father, mother, and minor child—all three must be physically present with their individual travel documents);
  • A facial image required for the EES will be taken of all individuals;
  • For all individuals aged 12 and older: 4 fingerprints required for the EES will be taken;
  • Refusal to provide the required facial image or fingerprints will result in the termination of the application process;
  • The Immigration office will determine whether you meet the conditions for making changes to the EES. The fact that you have been invited to Brussels does not mean that a change will automatically be made to the EES;
  • Once this investigation is complete, the Immigration office will inform you of the outcome of the procedure and whether any changes have been made to the EES.

You can find further information on Transparency and the processing of personal data by clicking on this link External databases | IBZ, and then by clicking on “Transparency – EES”.

Q: I am a third country national (for example, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, etc.) and I hold a D visa, a residence permit, or a diplomatic card issued by Belgium. I will be entering or leaving the Schengen Area through a BCP in another Schengen Member State. What advice can you give me?

You have to systematically present your residence card, diplomatic card, or D visa to the border control officer upon each entry and exit.

You have to report to the border control officer and not to the E-gates at the BCP of the other Schengen Member State, this given the fact that:

• The border control officer may review your Belgian residence card*, diplomatic card*, or D visa and then determine that you fall outside the scope of the EEA. An E-gate can’t review that. 
• If you use only the E-gates, without the assistance of a border control officer, that other Member State will likely register your entry or exit in the EES by mistake. The E-gates cannot determine whether you hold a Belgian D visa, residence card, or diplomatic card: they check your travel document.

*You can find an overview of Belgian residence cards and diplomatic cards on Visa Free Residence permits delivered by Belgium | IBZ .Only the documents listed on this site exempt you from EES registration.