Manual passport stamping is expected to end at the Tarajal crossing linking Ceuta and Morocco on April 10, when the European Union’s Entry Exit System becomes fully operational at all external borders after a six month rollout that began on Oct. 12, 2025.
The new system will digitally register non EU travelers entering and leaving the Schengen area instead of relying on physical stamps in passports.
Under the system, first time non EU travelers crossing into or out of Schengen will have biometric data recorded, including a facial image and fingerprints. On later trips, that data can be matched at automated gates, allowing faster processing and more accurate tracking of entries, exits and overstays.
The EU says the system is designed to strengthen border security and improve the reliability of travel records.
In Ceuta, Spanish officials had already indicated last year that Tarajal would move into the second phase of implementation and that manual stamping and the new digital system would coexist during the transition period before the stamp disappeared from April 10, 2026.
Local reporting on the rollout also said the crossing would rely on manual control points equipped with document readers, facial image capture devices, fingerprint readers and traveler facing interactive screens.
Spain’s government has said the State Secretariat for Security carried out technical works and equipment upgrades in Ceuta to activate the system at Tarajal, with investment reported at about 7.45 million euros.
While authorities present the change as a modernization of controls, local reporting has also pointed to possible early disruptions if staffing and on site management do not keep pace with the new border procedures.
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