EU to introduce mandatory Carrier Interface checks from April 10

BRUSSELS, April 7, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — The European Union will introduce the mandatory Carrier Interface application from April 10 to verify travellers’ eligibility to enter Schengen countries, as part of a broader rollout of border modernisation measures.

Operators are in the final stages of technical and operational preparations, while the eu-LISA Carrier Working Group and the European Commission continue to address remaining technical and implementation issues.

Carriers with potential Schengen operations have been urged to ensure they are registered and able to interact with eu-LISA systems before the application goes live.

The EU’s border modernisation is being introduced in phases, beginning with the Entry/Exit System, followed by mandatory Carrier Interface queries and later the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS.

The Entry/Exit System will replace manual passport stamping with digital tracking of entry, exit and overstay status for third-country nationals travelling on short-stay visas. It does not create new visa requirements or alter existing visa exemptions.

ETIAS, expected later in 2026, will apply to visa-exempt travellers and function in a similar way to the U.S. ESTA programme. Travellers will be responsible for obtaining authorisation, while carriers will be required to verify it before boarding once enforcement begins.

A support and onboarding tool for carriers, known as COBST, has also been launched as the main communication channel between operators and eu-LISA, alongside voluntary access to the Carrier Interface through a web portal and mobile applications.