The European Union will implement a new Entry/Exit System (EES) starting October 12, 2025. This system will affect most foreign travelers to the Netherlands and other Schengen countries. U.S. citizens visiting the Netherlands for short stays should expect their biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images, to be collected digitally at border entry and exit points.
The EES is set to be introduced gradually over six months across participating countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The European Union has published more details about the EES on its official website: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees.
U.S. citizens traveling to or living in the Netherlands are encouraged by the U.S. Consulate General Amsterdam to register for safety and security alerts from the embassy or consulate through step.state.gov.
Travelers seeking information specific to their destination can visit travel.state.gov/destination for guidance.
For assistance related to travel in the Netherlands or questions about consular services:
- Contact the U.S. Consulate General Amsterdam at +(31) (0) 70 310 2209 or ACSAmsterdam@state.gov.
- Additional resources are available at https://nl.usembassy.gov/.
- For State Department – Consular Affairs support in the United States call +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444.
The consulate also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for security updates and following them on X and Facebook for further information.