EU Entry/Exit System overwhelms Rome airport, triggering long queues

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) obliges all non‑EU travelers to register biometric data—passport scan, facial photo and fingerprints—at border kiosks, replacing manual passport stamps. The system is designed to record entries, exits and refusals and to enforce the 90‑day stay limit.

Since its rollout, the additional processing time of one to three minutes per passenger has caused severe congestion at major airports. In Rome’s Fiumicino airport, queues have stretched for hours, forcing many travelers to miss connecting flights. Airport officials have warned that the situation could force a temporary suspension of the EES to avoid a total breakdown of terminal operations.