If you've applied for a Schengen visa recently, or you're about to, there's a scam worth five minutes of your attention. Security researchers at Kaspersky have uncovered phishing emails dressed up as official notices from EU migration authorities, and they're landing in inboxes across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. The emails look convincing. The fake website they link to looks convincing. And the information they're after — your passport scan, your travel dates, your personal details — is exactly what a fraudster needs to do real damage.

What the Scam Actually Says

The emails go out in several languages, including English, Turkish, and Arabic, and they all carry the same false claim: that you must submit a "digital migration declaration" five working days before you travel, or risk extra checks or being refused entry. Click through, and you land on a fake website built to resemble the real EU Entry/Exit System (EES). It asks for your passport scan, travel dates, and other personal details — information a scammer can sell on or use to steal your identity outright.

Why It's Landing Now, and Landing Well

Timing is the whole trick. EES rolled out in stages from April 2026 and has been fully operational at every Schengen border since, with millions of crossings already logged under the new system. Most travellers still don't fully understand how it works, and that confusion is exactly what this scam exploits.

If you're applying for a Schengen visa for the first time since EES launched, or renewing a multi-entry visa you've held for years, an email that sounds official and carries a tight deadline is far more convincing than it would have been eighteen months ago. Add the threat of being turned away at the border, and plenty of careful, experienced travellers still click.

What EES Actually Requires, So You Can Spot the Fake

Here's the detail the scam depends on you not knowing: there is no advance online registration for EES. None. The European Commission has confirmed this directly. Your fingerprints and facial image are captured once, in person, at the physical border, the first time you enter the Schengen area under the new system. After that, your entries and exits are logged automatically every time you cross.

That means any email asking you to "register," "declare," or "confirm your migration status" online before travel isn't coming from an EU authority, because that process doesn't exist. Not from EES, and not from any consulate processing your visa application either.

Red Flags That Give It Away

  • A deadline attached to a document request you've never heard of. Real consulates don't ask for a "declaration" with five working days' notice.
  • A link that isn't an official government or consulate domain. Check the actual URL carefully, not just the display text.
  • A request for a full passport scan by email or web form, outside the booking systems you already know — VFS Global, TLScontact, or the consulate's own portal.
  • Pressure language: "additional checks," "entry may be denied," "act within 5 working days." Genuine official communication is rarely this dramatic.
  • The same template appearing in multiple languages — a strong sign of a mass phishing campaign rather than a message written for you specifically.

If You've Already Clicked, or You're Not Sure

If you submitted documents or personal details through one of these sites, change any passwords you've reused elsewhere, watch your bank and email accounts closely for unusual activity, and report it to your bank straight away if you shared any financial details. Don't submit anything further through the link, and don't assume silence means it was fine. Assume it wasn't, and act accordingly.

If an email about your Schengen application or EES status lands in your inbox and something feels off, stop before you click anything. Verify directly with the consulate or the booking platform you actually applied through — never through a link sitting inside the email itself.