From today, Friday 9 January, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is operational at dozens more of the bloc’s airports and ports.
The new border controls launched in October 2025. Initially, the threshold for EU countries to register third-country arrivals was set at only 10 per cent. This has now increased to 35 per cent.
The new system has already been causing significant delays for air passengers.
Travel trade association ABTA is now urging greater use of contingency measures by EU border officials as the EES rollout expands.
EES results in waiting times of up to three hours at airports
At airports where the EES is operational, visa-exempt travellers from the UK, US and other non-EU countries must register their biometric data at dedicated kiosks.
The new border checks are already causing headaches for passengers, who have reported long lines as people navigate the processing procedures for the first time.
In some cases, delays have resulted in passengers missing their flights.
In December last year, a report from Airport Council International (ACI) Europe highlighted the extent of this disruption and called for an urgent review of the system.
“The progressive scaling‑up of the registration and capture of biometric data from third country nationals entering the Schengen area has resulted in border control processing times at airports increasing by up to 70 per cent, with waiting times of up to three hours at peak traffic periods,” the ACI review found.
Travel association urges use of contingency measures to ease delays
ABTA says that passengers’ experience of the EES rollout so far has been varied, from relatively smooth to incidents where large queues have formed at passport control.
With countries now required to process 35 per cent of third-party nationals entering the EU, there are concerns that the problems will worsen.
ABTA is urging border authorities to apply the contingency measures available to them.
“The EES is a change to how we travel to and from Europe, and while eventually it will make passport checks quicker, initially it may take longer,” said Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA.
As more places introduce the system, and more passengers are processed through it, there is a greater risk that people will face queues and delays, he warned.
“We are also urging border authorities to do all they can to minimise delays. They have contingency measures at their disposal – such as standing down the system or limiting checks – and we want them to be utilised to help manage the flow of people,” Tanzer added.
“Where problems have been experienced so far, some of these could have been avoided if the contingency measures were applied.”
How travellers can prepare for the EES
ABTA has also offered advice for travellers required to use the EES.
“If you are departing the EU, we’re advising passengers to go straight to passport control as soon as they have gone through check-in and security, that way you get the EES checks out of the way as early as possible,” the association says.
It also urges travellers to follow their transport providers’ advice on when to arrive at airports, ports and other departure points.
“The usual rule is to arrive at the airport for a flight to Europe at least two hours before, so we’d encourage people to apply that as a minimum, but to also check with their transport provider,” it says.