Schengen Area: Difference between revisions

All 27 European countries within the Schengen Area have entry and exit stamps of a uniform design. As of April 2016, at a national level, 11 Schengen countries ([[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Greece]], [[Hungary]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Malta]], [[Poland]], [[Portugal]], [[Slovakia]] and [[Spain]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:5c20aef7-fca4-11e5-b713-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_2&format=PDF |title=Commission Staff Working Document: Impact Assessment Report on the establishment of an EU Entry Exit System, pg. 11 |format=PDF |date=6 April 2016 |access-date=19 April 2017 |archive-date=20 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420143022/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:5c20aef7-fca4-11e5-b713-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_2&format=PDF |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/doc_centre/borders/docs/1_en_act_part1_v12.pdf |title=Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Entry/Exit System (EES) to register entry and exit data of third country nationals crossing the external borders of the Member States of the European Union, pg. 2 |access-date=23 March 2013 |archive-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511142157/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/doc_centre/borders/docs/1_en_act_part1_v12.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0680:FIN:EN:PDF|title=Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, pg. 6|access-date=20 July 2012|archive-date=9 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309133522/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0680:FIN:EN:PDF|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://eu2012.dk/en/Meetings/Conferences/Feb/~/media/Files/Conferences/Jan_Mar/Conference%20on%20Innovation%20Border%20Management/Current%20State%20of%20Play%20-%20EU%20Confernce%20on%20Innovation%20Border%20Management.pdf |title=Current state of play in relation to innovated border management in the EU |access-date=20 July 2012 |archive-date=30 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130193133/http://eu2012.dk/en/Meetings/Conferences/Feb/~/media/Files/Conferences/Jan_Mar/Conference%20on%20Innovation%20Border%20Management/Current%20State%20of%20Play%20-%20EU%20Confernce%20on%20Innovation%20Border%20Management.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/may/eu-council-tcn-exit-entry-recording-questionnaire-replies-8552-09.pdf|title=Council of the European Union: Questionnaire on the possible creation of a system of electronic recording of entries and exits of third country nationals in the Schengen area|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=19 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219035919/http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/may/eu-council-tcn-exit-entry-recording-questionnaire-replies-8552-09.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/may/eu-council-tcn-exit-entry-recording-questionnaire-replies-8552-add2-09.pdf|title=Council of the European Union: Questionnaire on the possible creation of a system of electronic recording of entries and exits of third country nationals in the Schengen area (Replies from Bulgaria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway and Portugal)|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=19 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219040346/http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/may/eu-council-tcn-exit-entry-recording-questionnaire-replies-8552-add2-09.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/mar/eeu-council-schengen-entry-exit-questionnaire-8552-add3-09.pdf|title=Council of the European Union: Questionnaire on the possible creation of a system of electronic recording of entries and exits of third country nationals in the Schengen area (Reply from Greece)|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=12 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412182303/http://www.statewatch.org/news/2012/mar/eeu-council-schengen-entry-exit-questionnaire-8552-add3-09.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{overcite}} have developed computer databases recording entries and exits of third-country nationals (i.e. travellers who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens) at [[#Regulation of external borders|external border crossing points]]. However, on a Schengen-wide level, there is no centralised computer database that tracks entries and exits at all of the [[#Regulation of external borders|external border crossing points]] of the 27 Schengen countries, nor are entry and exit records from national databases shared between countries.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0069:FIN:EN:PDF Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Preparing the next steps in border management in the European Union] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413171628/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0069:FIN:EN:PDF |date=13 April 2024 }}, p.5.</ref> As a result, law enforcement officials continue to rely on checking passport stamps as the primary way to check that travellers who do not have the [[Directive 2004/38/EC on the right to move and reside freely|right of free movement]] have not exceeded their length of permitted stay in the Schengen Area.