A border crossing should go smoothly for the majority of travelers—a few questions, a stamp, and you’re done. However, things may change for many people entering the Schengen Area this summer. Instead of coming as a whisper, the Entry/Exit System, or EES, is making its presence known with an increasingly loud warning: get ready for lines.
This upgrade isn’t your typical one. For non-EU nationals, such as UK citizens, the EES implements biometric checks that require a fingerprint and facial scan upon initial entry. After that, reentry should be simpler. But at some of the busiest airports in Europe, that promise is currently being put to the test in challenging circumstances.
Key Facts About the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| System Name | EU Entry/Exit System (EES) |
| Who It Affects | Non-EU travellers entering or exiting the Schengen Area |
| Main Requirement | Biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) at first border crossing |
| Initial Rollout | October 2025 |
| Full Enforcement Date | April 10, 2026 |
| Notable Challenges | Long queues, tech faults, staffing gaps, and limited app adoption |
| Temporary Flexibility | Member states can delay enforcement through September 2026 |
| Intended Benefits | Enhanced border tracking, reduced passport stamping, improved security |
Airports have been gradually implementing EES since October 2025. But the transition hasn’t been without snags. Reports from two important travel hubs, Lisbon and Geneva, show noticeably longer processing times. In Lisbon, delays became so severe that the EES was suspended for three months.
Suspensions of that nature are not taken lightly. Although the new technology was sophisticated, it was slower than anticipated when confronted with real-world volume, and border employees found it difficult to control crowds. It’s like handing a Formula 1 car to a city bus driver during rush hour; the machinery might be sleek, but the environment isn’t designed for speed.
Groups representing airlines and airports have united in recent weeks. They characterized the current EES rollout as seriously flawed in an open letter to the European Commission. Their worries? Long wait times, unfixed technical issues, and the basic lack of qualified border officials to effectively support the rollout.
I recently witnessed a line form at London’s St Pancras just minutes after the EES kiosks went online. Travelers fumbled with the strange machines, many of them elderly or carrying agitated children. Some people completely stopped using the kiosks and went to get assistance, only to discover that there wasn’t enough staff available.
That particular instance stayed with me because it was about the lack of support for those around the technology, not the technology itself.
According to industry leaders, some travelers are already experiencing delays of more than two hours. During the height of summer, those wait times may exceed four hours. Their proposal is simple: allow member states to halt EES when necessary, particularly during the summer months of July and August when airport traffic usually doubles.
For its part, the European Commission has maintained its optimism. Officials point out that 12,000 refusals have been documented and that over 23 million entries and exits have been successfully logged. From their perspective, the rollout is largely stable and progressing sensibly. They have even highlighted the system’s inherent adaptability, which enables nations to modify deployment in response to local conditions.
Nevertheless, a remarkably similar pattern can be observed in a number of airports: although the tools may be prepared, the infrastructure and staff aren’t keeping up.
Among the more particular problems is the Frontex pre-registration app’s low adoption rate, which could greatly ease traffic if it were more widely used. However, uptake has been surprisingly low thus far. Not every airport regularly supports it, and not every traveler is aware of it.
Such inconsistency runs the risk of undermining the system’s goal. The outcome is uneven stress rather than uniform security if one airport has smooth EES checks while another requires manual workarounds.
The Commission has provided an important lifeline by extending the flexibility window until September 2026. This enables member states to respond to real congestion, scale up gradually, and—above all—preserve the traveler experience.
But everything won’t be resolved by that breathing room. Many airports continue to have chronic staffing shortages. Despite the installation of new kiosks, they are frequently left unattended due to a lack of trained staff to keep an eye on them. Money cannot close that gap on its own.
During the pandemic, travellers adapted quickly to contactless check-ins, remote testing, and mobile health certificates. It demonstrated that people are open to changing their habits—as long as the systems they use are incredibly transparent and logically directed. The same bar should be the goal for EES.
The experience can be startling for new users, particularly those who are not accustomed to biometric registration. It is not only beneficial but also necessary to have clear communication, staff support, and signage.
Some observers suggest staggering EES adoption based on airport size and capacity, allowing smaller regional airports to delay further. To reduce traffic near the gates, some suggest incorporating EES checkpoints earlier in the airport procedure, like during bag drop or check-in.
Both concepts appear to be very successful when used carefully.
Any system that increases friction could become a flashpoint in the context of the growing demand for travel—more than 2.6 billion people traveled by air in Europe in 2025. Because of this, it is especially advantageous for authorities to view this rollout as a chance to create something lasting rather than as a box-ticking exercise.
An effective border system should be very dependable for travelers, very efficient for employees, and significantly better with each iteration. With the right adjustments, the EES could get there.
Delays are annoying, yes. However, the foundation is solid because of the technology. Now is the time to commit to listening, making adjustments, and scaling quickly and patiently.
These biometric systems will probably replace the ink stamps that formerly characterized travel and streamline security in the upcoming years.
However, how the EU responds to the pressure test this summer could influence not only airport lines but also overall traveler confidence.