Due to a glitch in the EES system, British author Jojo Moyes found herself facing a fine of 10,000 euros and a two-year ban on entering Europe. Following a trip to Portugal, her departure from the Schengen Area was not recorded, and on her next journey, the system deemed that she had exceeded her permitted length of stay.
Euronews reported on the issue, citing the British publication Which?. If a departure is not recorded in the database, the person remains registered as being in the Schengen Area. Travellers usually only become aware of such an error during their next trip.
How the EES works
The EES digital control system came into operation in October 2025 and became mandatory for 29 countries from 10 April 2026. It has replaced passport stamps in EU countries, with the exception of Cyprus and Ireland, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Data is recorded by border guards or automated terminals when crossing the external border. There is no need to fill in any forms in advance.
The rule, which the system helps to monitor, limits travellers’ stays in the Schengen Area to 90 days within any 180-day period. In Moyes’s case, following her trip to Portugal in May, her exit details were lost, and in October in Marseille, officials threatened her with a fine and a travel ban.
How to check your status and correct your details
Before their next trip, travellers are advised to check on the EES website how many days’ stay have been recorded by the system. If the departure has not been registered, you should immediately submit an online request via the same portal asking for the data to be corrected.
You should attach a scan of your passport to the request, along with proof of your timely departure from the Schengen Area — for example, a boarding pass or a train or coach ticket.
Radio MAXIMUM previously reported that paid ETIAS authorisations are being introduced for travel to the EU.
The original version of this article first appeared on Glob-News.com.