The EES entry exit system has run at every external Schengen border since 10 April 2026. It's now catching fake identities at the border with real cases: in February 2026 it stopped a man who had already tried entering three times under different names. If you hold a valid Spanish TIE, none of this affects you: you're still exempt from registration.
What changes for you today
Nothing. If you hold a valid Spanish TIE, you stay exempt from the EES exactly as before: you just show your passport together with the card. See the full exemption rules in Entry Exit System: who is exempt.
What happened
On 6 August 2026 the European Commission published a concrete case to show the EES works. In February 2026, at an external Schengen border crossing, the system identified a man who had already tried entering the Schengen area three times before under different identities. Without the EES, according to the Commission, he wouldn't have been caught. Since launch, the system has recorded more than 150 million entries and exits.
How it works now
The EES has run at every external Schengen border since 10 April 2026. It electronically logs entry and exit dates, and takes fingerprints and a facial photo of non-EU short-stay travellers who aren't exempt (it doesn't apply to EU citizens, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). That biometric cross-check is what lets border staff spot someone who already used another identity, as in the February case.
What would change
Nothing changes in the rules: there's no reform under way because of this case. The only new thing is that the European Commission made a real example public of how the system already running since April actually works.
What happens next
There are no pending dates or announcements linked to this case. The EES keeps working the same way at every Schengen border, and the Commission will keep publishing usage statistics as the system accumulates more records.
What you can do
Always carry your valid TIE together with your passport when crossing the border: that's what exempts you from biometric registration. If you travel with a family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, also carry their residence card, because without it they are registered. For the rest of the rules on travelling across Schengen with your TIE, see Travelling across Schengen with your residence permit.
Official source: European Commission — Home Affairs, EES prevents people using fake identities from entering the EU. Informational only, not legal advice; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.