UK travellers visiting Europe could face delays of several hours getting through airport security this summer as the EU struggles with the rollout of its new border control system.
The entry-exit system (EES) requires UK citizens to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics before travelling to Europe, and is in the middle of being implemented, with all Schengen Area nations due to have it up and running by 9 April.
Representative body Airports Council International recently reported that EES was causing delays of up to three hours, with airports in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy among the worst affected.
Enhanced EES checks can be reduced and even deactivated where there is the threat of long queues at passport controls, and the European Commission last week announced that the availability of these measures had been extended to cover the entire summer peak travel period until September.
But Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, warned some nations were not making use of this flexibility.
Abta warned that the “under use” of contingency measures had resulted in occasions where passengers had “unnecessarily been caught up in lengthy delays”.
Tanzer said: “The ambition of a project like EES means it was never going to go completely smoothly, and we were prepared for that.
“However, what is frustrating is that border authorities have it within their power to ease queues and deal with issues as they arise – but that doesn’t seem to be happening across the board.”
Work being carried out on the new EU entry/exit system (EES) at the entrance to the Port of Dover in Kent.
(Gareth Fuller, PA Images)
Director General of Airports Council International, Olivier Jankovec, told the Guardian that the current system was “not sustainable and we fear it is only going to get worse.”
He said issues with the EES desks not working, staff shortages, or the system regularly going down are common issues and only 35% of people are being registered for EES.
During quiet periods, people can sail through in just a few minutes, but when airports are busy, backlogs form.
Jankovec said: “We’re especially concerned for July and August, when we have double the traffic. We could see queues of up to five hours, and that is making us very nervous: it creates a disastrous passenger experience and a safety hazard, as well as possible missed connecting flights.”
Just before the New Year, queues in Lisbon airport reportedly reached up to seven hours before they were suspended.
How does the EES work?
The entry-exit system (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling to the EU for a short stay – up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Anyone from so-called third-party countries, such as the UK, must register their name, type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and their date and place of entry and exit, in order to enter the Schengen area.
The Schengen area is comprised of 29 European countries – mainly EU member states, but also some non-EU countries including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein – between which there is freedom of movement for citizens.
This means that if people from the UK – which is known as a third-party country since it is no longer part of the EU – want to go to one of these countries in the Schengen area, they have to undergo border checks to enter those countries.
While that previously involved manually stamping passports, the EES system will eventually replace that with an automated system.
As part of the introduction of EES, Frontex – the EU border and coastguard agency – has developed an app which will allow non-EU travellers to pre-register their travel document data and facial image for the system before arriving at a border crossing point, therefore reducing processing times.
The EU is rolling out EES in a phased manner, with participating states initially only required to use the system for a proportion of their arrivals.
The deadline for full implementation is 10 April 2026.
What does this mean for Brits travelling to Europe?
The EES will be used to register travellers from countries outside the EU, including the UK, each time they cross a border in or out of the bloc.
British travellers will have to scan their passports or other travel documents at an automated self-service kiosk before crossing the border, instead of having their passport stamped manually.
In its latest guidance, the Foreign Office confirmed British travellers will have their fingerprint or photo taken when first entering or leaving the Schengen area, and people should be prepared for some queues.
For most UK travellers, the EES process will be done at foreign airports, but UK travellers boarding international services from London’s St Pancras railway station, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal will complete EES checks in the UK.
At the port of Dover, car passengers will be provided tablet devices to register and can remain in their vehicles, but coach passengers will have to disembark and use kiosks.
There are fears the EES system will cause delays at UK exit points, such as the Eurostar in St Pancras station, in London.
(Monica Wells)
An individual’s EES registration will be valid for three years, although their details will still be verified on each trip in that period.
People’s data will normally be erased from the system three years after their last trip to an EU country using the EES. Children under 12 do not need to provide fingerprints.
Travel experts have warned of delays as people get used to the system, though some say ultimately EES will make things quicker in the long-term.
Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Longer waits are expected at border control on arrival so you should allow more time when you land by booking later transfers or other onward travel.”
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, said in the longer term, EES should make processes quicker and simpler for travel to Europe, but in the short term there could be some delays. However, he said countries do have the option to stand down the system to avoid lengthy waiting times.
The rules are different for the Republic of Ireland and for Cyprus, neither of which are in the Schengen area, the Foreign Office has also previously reminded travellers.
“You can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period in Cyprus without a visa,” it said. “Any time you spend in the Schengen area does not affect the number of days you can spend in Cyprus.”
Research previously suggested UK holidaymakers remain confused about how the rules will impact their trips abroad.
Holiday Extras, a booking site, found that 82% of UK travellers remain unclear on how EES will impact their trips and more than a third (35%) are unaware of the scheme coming into force altogether.
Why is this happening?
The EU said the EES will modernise the management of its borders and eventually lead to an improved experience for travellers.
The system is designed to combat identity fraud and spot overstayers to the EU, as well as strengthen security within the bloc.
The system had been delayed repeatedly – initially scheduled for a 2022 start, then pushed back to May 2023, then to the end of 2024 and then until November 2024, before being implemented.
What does it mean for ETIAS?
The EES is linked to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
This is a new entry requirement for travellers to enter 30 European countries – the 29 Schengen Area nations, as well as Cyprus.
With ETIAS, which is not a visa, travellers must apply well in advance for a travel authorisation before starting their trip.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is set to be introduced after the EES.
(SOPA Images via Getty Images)
Travellers must go online and provide personal information such as address, passport information, current occupation, past travel to conflict zones or any criminal convictions. But, unlike EES, no biometric data is collected.
The ETIAS, which will cost about £6, will be valid for three years or until the passport used for the application runs out, whichever comes first.
The ETIAS is expected to start its rollout in the last quarter of 2026, a year after the implementation of EES has started.
If that timeline remains in place, by the end of 2026, UK travellers will need authorisation from both systems to travel to the EU.