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1. Each Member State may establish a voluntary programme (‘national facilitation programme’) in order to allow third-country nationals, or nationals of a specific third country, who do not enjoy the right of free movement under Union law to benefit from the facilitations made pursuant to paragraph 2 when crossing the external border of a Member State.

2. By way of derogation from Article 8(3)(a), for third-country nationals referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article who are granted access to the national facilitation programme, the thorough checks on entry do not have to include an examination of the aspects referred to in Article 8(3)(a)(iv) and (v) when such third-country nationals cross the external border of a Member State.

3. The Member State shall pre-vet third-country nationals applying to the national facilitation programme in order to verify in particular that the conditions referred to in paragraph 4 are fulfilled.

Such third-country nationals shall be pre-vetted by border guards, by visa authorities as defined in point 3 of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 or by immigration authorities as defined in point (4) of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

4. The authorities referred to in paragraph 3 shall only grant a person access to the national facilitation programme where all of the following conditions are fulfilled:

(a) the applicant fulfils the entry conditions set out in Article 6(1);

(b) the applicant’s travel document and, where applicable, visa, long-stay visa or residence permit are valid and not false, counterfeit or forged;

(c) the applicant proves the need for frequent or regular travel or justifies his or her intention to travel frequently or regularly;

(d) the applicant proves his or her integrity and reliability, in particular, where applicable, the lawful use of previous visas or visas with limited territorial validity, his or her economic situation in the country of origin and his or her genuine intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the end of the authorised period of stay. In accordance with Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, the authorities referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article shall have access to the EES to verify that the applicant has not previously exceeded the maximum duration of authorised stay on the territory of the Member States;

(e) the applicant justifies the purpose and conditions of the intended stays;

(f) the applicant possesses sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stays and for the return to the country of origin or residence, or that the applicant is in a position to acquire such means lawfully;

(g) the SIS is consulted.

5. First access to the national facilitation programme shall be granted for a maximum of one year. Access may be extended for a maximum of a further five years or until the end of the validity period of the travel document or any issued multiple-entry visas, long-stay visas and residence permits, whichever is shorter. In the case of an extension the Member State shall reassess every year the situation of each third-country national who is granted access to the national facilitation programme in order to ensure that, based on updated information, that third-country national still meets the conditions laid down in paragraph 4. This reassessment may be performed when border checks are carried out.

6. The thorough checks on entry pursuant to Articles 8(3)(a) and (b) and the thorough checks on exit pursuant to Article 8(3)(g) shall also comprise verification that the third-country national has valid access to the national facilitation programme.

Border guards may carry out the verification of the third-country national benefiting from the national facilitation programme on entry pursuant to Articles 8(3)(a) and (b) and on exit pursuant to Article 8(3)(g) without comparing biometrics electronically but by comparing the facial image taken from the electronic storage medium (chip) and the facial image in the third-country national's individual EES file with that third-country national’s face. Full verification shall be carried out at random and on the basis of a risk analysis.

7. The authorities referred to in paragraph 3 shall immediately revoke the access granted to a third-country national to the national facilitation programme if it becomes evident that the conditions for granting access to that programme were not met or are no longer met.

8. When verifying in accordance with paragraph 3 whether the applicant fulfils the conditions set out in paragraph 4, particular consideration shall be given to assessing whether the applicant presents a risk of illegal immigration or a risk to the security of any of the Member States and whether the applicant intends to leave the territory of the Member States during the authorised stay. The means of subsistence for the intended stays shall be assessed according to the duration and the purpose of the envisaged stay or stays and by reference to average prices in the Member States concerned for board and lodging in budget accommodation, on the basis of the reference amounts set by the Member States in accordance with Article 39(1)(c). Proof of sponsorship, private accommodation, or both, may also constitute evidence of sufficient means of subsistence.

The examination of an application shall be based, in particular, on the authenticity and reliability of the documents submitted and on the veracity and reliability of the statements made by the applicant. If a Member State responsible for examining an application has any doubts about the applicant, the applicant’s statements or supporting documents that have been provided, it may consult other Member States before any decision on the application is taken.

9. Two or more Member States having established their own national facilitation programme pursuant to this Article may conclude among themselves an agreement in order to ensure that the beneficiaries of their national facilitation programmes may benefit from the facilitations recognised by another national facilitation programme. Within the time-limit of one month from the conclusion of the agreement, a copy of the agreement shall be transmitted to the Commission.

10. When establishing a national facilitation programme, Member States shall ensure that their system operating the programme meets the data security standards laid down in Article 43 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. Member States shall conduct a proper information security risk assessment and security responsibilities shall, for all steps of the process, be made clear.

11. The Commission shall, by the end of the third year of the application of this Article, transmit to the European Parliament and to the Council an evaluation of its implementation. On the basis of that evaluation, the European Parliament or the Council may invite the Commission to propose the establishment of a Union programme for frequent and pre-vetted third-country national travellers.