EU Entry/Exit System causes summer travel delays across Europe

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border‑control platform that records fingerprints and facial images of non‑EU travellers, became fully operational in April 2026. It replaces the traditional passport stamp for short‑stay visitors, including those from the United Kingdom.

Airports, ferry ports and Eurostar terminals in dozens of Schengen states have reported queues lasting from several hours up to six hours. Rome’s Fiumicino and Ciampino, Frankfurt, Schiphol, and several Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Croatian border points have warned that the summer peak could become a "disaster" unless biometric checks are temporarily suspended. Technical glitches, insufficient staff and malfunctioning self‑service kiosks are cited as the main causes.

Airlines such as Wizz Air and TUI advise passengers to arrive three hours before departure, and some flights have already been missed. The European Commission maintains the system is fully operational, while airport operators and the International Air Transport Association argue that the delays stem from the new technology and existing capacity constraints. Several countries (e.g., Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands) have prepared fallback procedures that allow temporary suspension of biometric checks to keep passenger flows moving.

The situation is affecting holidaymakers, business travellers and tourism operators throughout the EU, with the potential to dampen demand for summer travel.