Schengen information system (SIS)

Schengen information system is a database composed by entries which are called alerts. 885 000 (or 1.9%) are connected to specific individuals. Every alert includes but is not limited to the following information: name, date of birth, gender, nationality, aliases, arms or history of violence, the reason for the alert and the action to be taken if the person is encountered, requests for extradition, undesirability of presence in particular territory, mental illnesses, requests by a judicial authority, and suspected of crime, lost, stolen and misappropriated firearms and banknotes. In total there are 46 million entries in SIS. All schengen countries have access to the database and have to abide by the information provided there. It is updated in real time.

On March 7, 2023, SIS was been updated; additional tools to prevent irregular migration, working closely with EES (Entry-Exit System, to be launched in November 2023), have emerged, including registering third-nation traveler’s name, the type of travel document, biometric data, and the date of entry and exit from the EU or refusal of entry information. Also, the new features of SIS will include new categories of alerts and biometric data, such as palm prints, fingermarks and DNA records for missing people.