EU Entry/Exit System falsely marks tourists as overstayers: dozens face travel bans and fines of up to 10,000 euros

British consumer advocacy group Which? has issued a warning regarding a systemic issue with the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES). According to reports, dozens of travelers have discovered that their exit from the Schengen Area was not recorded in the digital database. As a result, the system continues to count their days of stay, leaving individuals who have actually left the territory marked as having exceeded their permitted limit. Because authorities do not contact citizens directly, the problem is usually only detected at border control during the next trip, when the traveler is suddenly informed of potential fines or entry bans.

How EES works and why it became mandatory

The EU's Entry/Exit System was introduced in phases, with the first stage beginning in October 2025. As of April 10, 2026, EES became mandatory for 29 countries. The system replaces traditional passport stamps with digital records of every entry and exit. It operates in all EU member states, except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The primary goal is the automatic detection of individuals who overstay their welcome: non-EU citizens may stay in the Schengen Area for no more than 90 days within any 180-day period. This "90/180" logic makes the accurate recording of every border crossing critically important.

The case of Jojo Moyes: from Portugal to a potential two-year ban

The most high-profile case involves British novelist Jojo Moyes, author of "Me Before You." In May 2026, she visited Portugal, but upon arriving at Marseille Airport in October, border guards informed her that her exit from the Schengen Area had not been logged in the system. Officials warned that if she returned before the error was corrected, she would face a 10,000-euro fine and a two-year ban from entering the zone. This incident, which Moyes publicly described, became one of the first widely reported cases confirming that the EES bug is not limited to individual passengers but appears to be a systemic issue.

Scale of the problem: dozens of reports to Which?

According to Which?, since the mandatory implementation of EES, dozens of readers have contacted them with similar issues. In most cases, travelers only realized they were "overstaying" at the border when a guard noted that the system showed a continuous stay exceeding 90 days. Crucially, no agency had attempted to contact the citizens beforehand to verify their status. This means people can remain unaware of an error for months until it becomes an obstacle to a new trip. Euronews Travel reached out to the European Commission for comment, but no official response had been received by the time of publication.

What travelers should do: data verification and reporting procedures

European authorities have provided a self-service verification mechanism: any traveler can request information on the official EES website regarding how many days they have spent in the Schengen Area over the past 180 days. If an error is found — such as an incorrect number of days or an "incomplete data" notification — one must send a request to the Data Controller in the country where the error allegedly occurred. A full list of Data Controllers is available on the EES website. The inquiry should include a scan of one's passport and documentary proof of exit from the Schengen Area, such as a boarding pass, train ticket, or bus ticket. The sooner a traveler detects the discrepancy and submits a request, the higher the chance the error will be corrected before their next border crossing and any potential fines are levied.

Context: summer 2026 and border queues

The issue with unrecorded exits adds to a known trend we have previously reported on: in the summer of 2026, EES caused significant delays at border crossings, forcing some countries to relax checks to reduce queues. Now, this logistical challenge is compounded by the risk of legal errors that could impact travel plans months in advance. For travelers planning frequent trips across Europe in 2026–2027, regularly checking EES data before each trip is no longer a recommendation but a necessity.