Some passengers have missed flights home because the wait for EES checks meant they could not reach their gate in time.
Across the airports of Europe this summer, a new bureaucratic threshold has quietly reshaped the experience of crossing borders. The EU's Entry/Exit System — requiring British travellers to submit fingerprints, photographs, and passport scans at automated kiosks — has transformed what was once a stamp into a process measured in minutes, and sometimes hours. Where millions once passed through with relative ease, some now miss their flights home entirely. It is a reminder that the architecture of modern borders is never merely technical; it is also deeply human.
- Queues of up to six hours have already formed at major European airports, with some passengers missing their flights home before the peak summer rush has even begun.
- Technology failures and understaffed border posts have turned a process designed to take minutes into an ordeal that can consume an entire morning.
- Airlines are split — Wizz Air urges passengers to arrive three hours early, while Ryanair has stated plainly it will not hold flights for those caught in EES delays.
- Greece has suspended fingerprint collection for British visitors this summer, and Portugal is deploying hundreds of extra border staff in July as emergency relief measures take hold.
- A pre-registration app exists, but only Sweden and Portugal are using it in any meaningful way, leaving most travellers to face the kiosks on arrival with little preparation.
For the first time since the EU's Entry/Exit System launched last October, European airports are facing their true test: the summer holiday season. EES has replaced the old passport stamp with a digital registration requiring British travellers to provide fingerprints, a photograph, and a passport scan at automated kiosks upon arrival in any of 29 Schengen countries. The process sounds simple, but each registration takes minutes rather than seconds — and when thousands of passengers arrive during peak hours, the mathematics of delay become unavoidable.
The rollout has been uneven. Some airports have managed the flow; others have seen queues stretch to six hours, with technology failures and insufficient staffing cited as the main causes. There have also been reports of passengers being asked to register their biometrics twice. The human cost is already visible — some travellers have missed their flights home entirely, unable to clear the EES queue in time to reach their gate.
Airlines are preparing for disruption. Wizz Air recommends arriving three hours before a return flight, while Ryanair has made clear it will not delay departures for passengers held up at border control. At Dover, Folkestone, and St Pancras, French authorities have installed EES machines but are not yet using them routinely — during the May half-term, even without full biometric collection, queues grew so severe that the process was suspended altogether.
The EU has built in a safety valve: member states can temporarily suspend biometric checks under "exceptional circumstances" through September. Greece has already done so for British visitors this summer. Portugal, which saw some of the worst early queues, is sending hundreds of extra border officers to airports in July. A pre-registration app has been developed, though only Sweden and Portugal are using it so far.
Looking further ahead, the EU's ETIAS visa-waiver system — requiring British travellers to apply online before departure for a €20 authorisation valid three years — is expected later in 2026. For now, the immediate question is whether EES can bear the weight of a full European summer.
For the first time since the EU rolled out its new Entry/Exit System last October, European airports are about to face the real test: summer holiday season. The system, known as EES, has replaced the old passport stamp with something far more demanding—a digital registration that requires every British traveller heading to 29 European countries to provide fingerprints, a photograph, and a passport scan at an automated kiosk before they can leave the airport.
The mechanics are straightforward enough. When you land in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, or any of the other Schengen zone countries, you'll walk up to a machine, place your fingers on a scanner, have your photo taken, and wait while the system verifies your information. Children under twelve and a handful of other passengers still go through a border officer instead. But for most people, it's the kiosks. The problem is time. Each registration takes minutes—not seconds. Multiply that by thousands of passengers arriving during peak hours, and the mathematics of delay become unavoidable.
Since EES went live, the picture has been uneven. Some airports have managed the flow reasonably well. Others have seen queues stretch to six hours, according to warnings from IATA, the international airline trade body. The blame has landed on two culprits: the technology itself has had hiccups, and border staffing levels have proven insufficient at several major hubs. There have also been reports of passengers having to register their biometric data twice—a frustrating redundancy that compounds the wait. The human cost has already surfaced. Some travellers have missed their flights home entirely because they couldn't clear the EES queue in time to reach their gate.
Airlines are bracing for chaos. Wizz Air's UK chief told the BBC that passengers should arrive three hours before their flight home—an hour more than the standard recommendation—just to account for the new system. But there's no guarantee that extra time will help. Ryanair has made clear it will not hold flights for passengers delayed by border control, while other carriers say they'll wait where possible. The ferry and train routes present their own complications. At Dover, Folkestone, and St Pancras in London, French border police have set up automated EES machines, but they're not yet in routine use. During the May half-term holidays, even without full biometric collection, queues of cars backed up so severely that French authorities suspended the process altogether.
The EU has built in a pressure valve. If waiting times become excessive, member states can temporarily suspend the biometric checks under what Brussels calls "exceptional circumstances"—a provision that runs through September. Greece has already opted out of collecting fingerprints from British visitors during the peak summer period. Portugal, which experienced some of the worst queues during the rollout, is deploying hundreds of extra border staff in July. A mobile app has been developed to let passengers pre-register some information before they arrive at the border, though so far only Sweden and Portugal are using it, and even then only partially.
Beyond EES, another system is waiting in the wings. The EU is preparing ETIAS—the European Travel Information and Authorisation System—a visa waiver that will require British travellers to apply online before departure. It's not due until late 2026, though the exact date remains unconfirmed. The application will cost €20 and last three years, though under-eighteens and over-seventies won't pay. For now, though, the focus is on surviving the summer. The real stress test of EES begins when millions of Britons head to the continent for their holidays, and the airports of Europe discover whether the new system can actually handle the load.
Notable Quotes
Passengers should be prepared for a wait and turn up three hours before their flight home— Wizz Air UK chief
The system can be suspended in exceptional circumstances that lead to excessive waiting times until September— European Commission provision
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
So the EES system has been running since October—why is summer suddenly the crisis point?
Because October to May is shoulder season. You don't get the volume. Summer is when every family in Britain books a flight to Spain or Portugal at the same time. That's when you find out if a system actually works.
And it's not working?
It's working in some places. But in others, people are waiting six hours. Some have missed flights. That's not a system working—that's a system under stress.
Why are the queues so long if it's just fingerprints and a photo?
It's not the technology itself—it's the volume meeting the infrastructure. You need enough machines, enough staff, enough space. Some airports have all three. Others don't. And there have been glitches where people have to register twice.
Can you just skip it and go to Greece instead?
Greece has actually suspended the biometric checks for British visitors this summer. But most people aren't going to Greece. They're going to France and Spain. And those countries can't just opt out.
What happens if you miss your flight?
That depends on the airline. Ryanair won't wait. Others might. But you've still missed your flight home, and you're stuck at an airport trying to rebook.
Is this permanent, or will it get better?
The EU says it can suspend the checks if waiting times get too bad—that's allowed until September. Portugal is hiring hundreds of extra border staff for July. So there's recognition that something needs to change. But this is the new normal now. The old passport stamp is gone.