British passport holders visiting countries in Europe's Schengen Zone can now use an official online tool to check how many days the EU's new digital Entry-Exit System (EES) believes they have spent in the area. The EES checks, which involve taking fingerprints and a headshot at the border, were rolled out in April 2026 and affect British passport holders.
The system aims to replace traditional passport stamping, though some countries were able to suspend checks during peak travel times this summer to avoid excessive queues. British passport holders are permitted to spend 90 days within any 180-day period in Schengen Zone countries.
To check their EES status online, individuals can visit Europa's 'Check How Long You Can Stay' tool. Users need to enter their passport number, issuing country, and can optionally include intended travel dates. The tool will indicate if a planned stay would be authorised with a 'green OK' or 'red Not OK', and show the number of days remaining out of the 90-day allowance.
It is important to note that the tool does not reflect visits made to the Schengen Zone before 10 April 2026. If a traveller believes their data is incorrect, they have the right to request a correction by contacting the Data Controller for the last Schengen Zone country they visited, providing evidence such as flight tickets or receipts.