European Borders: What Happened This Summer with EES, and What ETIAS Will Change

This summer, many travelers faced wait times of up to three hours in queues at several European airports and ports due to the rollout of the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES). Nine Schengen Area member states—France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Switzerland—notified the European Commission that they could not yet implement EES across all their border checkpoints, citing recurring technical glitches and risks of severe congestion.

Airports such as Málaga-Costa del Sol and Barcelona-El Prat saw processing times surge by 70% during peak hours. At Lisbon Airport, authorities were even forced to suspend EES kiosks after record wait times reached up to seven hours.

The result: in this month of September 2026, the system designed to permanently replace manual passport stamps remains unevenly applied. Meanwhile, ETIAS, which was initially scheduled to launch shortly after, continues to wait its turn. If you are planning a trip to Europe in the coming months, here is what you need to know to navigate your border crossing smoothly.

The EES (Entry/Exit System) is the new biometric framework progressively replacing manual passport stamping at the Schengen Area's external borders for non-EU nationals.

In practical terms, during your first border crossing, an officer or self-service kiosk records your fingerprints and a facial image, linking this data directly to your passport. This biometric profile remains valid for three years, meaning subsequent trips theoretically require only a quick digital scan.

The European Commission's stated objective is twofold:

• Securing external borders by instantly cross-referencing traveler data against European security databases.

• Automating stay monitoring for every non-EU visitor to strictly enforce the 90-day maximum stay within any 180-day period.

An optional mobile app, Travel to Europe, also allows travelers to pre-register their passport details and photo up to 72 hours before arriving at an equipped checkpoint.

Good to know: EES should not be confused with a visa or a travel authorization. It is a mandatory biometric registration system applied directly at the border, requiring no advance application on your part.

Yes, in principle. EES applies to all third-country nationals making a short-term stay in the Schengen Area, whether they are visa-exempt or subject to a traditional Schengen visa.

Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland are fully exempt from these checks.

The phased rollout of EES began on October 12, 2025, with full implementation initially targeted for April 10, 2026. By that date, all 29 Schengen countries were expected to biometrically register every non-EU national. However, the timeline collided with operational realities on the ground.

Several factors converged to create major bottlenecks during the peak summer period:

• Recurring technical glitches: Biometric kiosks and tablets experienced data transmission delays, occasionally preventing border agents from accessing traveler profiles.

• Insufficient infrastructure: A shortage of automated kiosks at certain airports forced travelers into manual queues, drastically increasing processing times.

• Summer traffic peaks: Seasonal travel surges occurred precisely as EES was transitioning from a pilot phase to full operational enforcement.

Facing a critical situation, Airports Council International (ACI Europe), Airlines for Europe (A4E), and IATA submitted a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Concurrently, nine member states requested temporary flexibility. Certain countries, such as Portugal (at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports), utilized legal flexibility provisions to temporarily suspend biometric checks during peak hours to prevent terminal overcrowding.

The situation remains fragmented. While the official flexibility period permitting check suspensions formally expired on September 6, 2026, nine countries continue to rely on informal tolerance to ease rules during high-volume periods.

Here is an overview by country:

• France: Partial implementation, with confirmed operational flexibility through the end of the year.

• Germany: Partial rollout, with the system not applied continuously across all borders.

• Italy: Partial implementation due to persistent technical issues.

• Belgium: Partial deployment, though the Eurostar terminal and the Port of Antwerp are fully operational.

• Netherlands: Partial implementation; Amsterdam Schiphol is operational, but other entry points face delays.

• Greece, Malta, and Switzerland: Incomplete rollout, largely restricted to major airport hubs.

• Portugal: Partial implementation, with further adjustments required across airports.

Conversely, several major international hubs are now operating at full capacity, including Frankfurt Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, the Brussels Eurostar terminal, and the Port of Antwerp. Globally, approximately 200 million biometric registrations have already been completed, blocking nearly 70,000 unauthorized entries and detecting around 1,000 security risks at an average pace of 2 million new profiles per week.

It depends entirely on your port of entry. At airports where EES is fully integrated, biometric capture is smoothly incorporated into processing and remains fast. However, at locations still undergoing transition, alternating between automated kiosks and manual checks can make delays unpredictable.

It is strongly advised to build a comfortable buffer into your itinerary for connecting flights, particularly at major airports across Southern Europe.

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is designed to go live once EES is fully stabilized, as both systems share the same technical architecture and backend databases. Consequently, cumulative EES delays directly impact the ETIAS rollout timeline.

As of today, ETIAS is not yet active, and no applications can be submitted. The European Commission maintains its target launch window for the fourth quarter of 2026, though an exact date has not been confirmed.

Once deployed, ETIAS will not replace EES; rather, it will complement it:

• EES records your biometric data and border movements at the point of entry.

• ETIAS is a digital travel authorization obtained online prior to departure (similar to the US ESTA or UK ETA), valid for 3 years or until your passport expires.

ETIAS will apply to all citizens of countries currently benefiting from Schengen visa-exempt status, including passport holders from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

Conversely, travelers who already require a traditional Schengen visa (such as Indian passport holders) will not need ETIAS, as their visa application process already incorporates the necessary background checks.

While waiting for full EES stabilization and the ETIAS launch, following these straightforward guidelines will help ensure a hassle-free journey:

• Anticipate processing times: Allow sufficient time before any connecting flight, especially at high-volume airports in Southern Europe.

• Keep documents accessible: Have your passport and boarding pass readily available in case processing switches to manual checks.

• Check your arrival hub: Verify the operational status of EES at your destination airport, as conditions evolve rapidly.

• Passport renewals: Because your EES biometric profile is linked to your specific document number, renewing your passport will require a new biometric registration upon arrival.

• Prepare for ETIAS: Apply as soon as the official portal opens to ensure smooth travel.

For full details on entry conditions and the upcoming application process, consult our article - ETIAS 2026: The Complete Guide to the New European Travel Authorization