EU Entry/Exit System causes major delays for British travelers

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires biometric registration of non‑EU visitors, has triggered lengthy queues and missed flights for British holidaymakers. At Paris‑Charles de Gaulle Airport, a family of three spent almost seven hours in a stalled passport‑control line, missed their easyJet flight and incurred over £1,000 in extra tickets and hotel costs. Similar problems were reported at Ibiza Airport, where UK passengers had to queue twice and undergo manual passport checks after facial‑scanning kiosks failed, risking further flight delays.

EES went fully operational on 10 April after a phased rollout that began in October 2022. While designed to track short‑term stays, the system has faced IT glitches, staff shortages and uneven implementation across 29 EU countries. Greece has temporarily suspended EES for UK travellers, and other states have delayed full use. Ryanair’s CEO has accused the EU of using the system to punish British tourists post‑Brexit, though officials say the rollout is still being refined and will reach full capacity only by 2026.