EU Entry/Exit System faces summer border delays, tourism concern

The Croatian Ministry of Interior said no EU member state has formally suspended the Entry/Exit System (EES), but the legal framework allows temporary relief in exceptional traffic conditions, permitting up to six‑hour delays without biometric checks while still recording travel documents. Croatia highlighted infrastructural bottlenecks at the Bosnia‑Herzegovina border that can exacerbate queues.

European ferry ports and tourism leaders warned that the rollout of EES this summer could deter travellers. A World Travel & Tourism Council survey of 2,500 people from the UK, US, Canada and Australia found 33 % would avoid the Schengen area if border waits regularly exceed three hours, potentially jeopardising up to 41 million arrivals from these key markets. Respondents cited security and faster future processing as benefits, while calling for a pre‑registration app, adequate staffing and better equipment. The European Sea Ports Organisation noted severe congestion at Dover in May and praised a temporary French relaxation of EES checks that helped alleviate the situation. The EES, which replaces passport stamping with digital biometric records, has been introduced gradually since October 2025 with full rollout slated for April 2026.