Eurodac is the central fingerprint database of the European Union for asylum matters. It has been operating since 15 January 2003 and was set up in order to register asylum applicants and thus apply the Dublin Regulation effectively.
All asylum applicants who are at least 14 years old and are not citizens of a Dublin member state are registered in Eurodac. It also contains details of persons who are caught illegally crossing the borders of the Dublin Area and are not turned back. Eurodac may also be used to check persons who are illegally present in a Dublin member state.
Eurodac comprises the Central System and the communication infrastructure between the Central System and the Member States. The Eurodac Central System is located in Strasbourg and operated by the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA).
Guide for authorities when taking fingerprints for Eurodac
Last modification 04.01.2022