Why are there holiday delay warnings over the EU's new border system?
Summary
The European Union has introduced a new digital border control system called the Entry/Exit System (EES) that requires non-EU travelers, including UK citizens, to provide fingerprints and a photo when entering and leaving the Schengen Area. Since its full rollout, some airports have experienced long delays and queues, especially in busy periods, as travelers register their biometric data.Key Facts
- EES replaces manual passport stamping with biometric data collection (fingerprints and photo).
- The system applies to non-EU citizens entering or leaving the Schengen zone, which includes 29 European countries.
- UK travelers must register their biometric information at automated kiosks on arrival, and it is checked again on departure.
- Some airports have reported delays of several hours, with queues up to six hours in some places.
- Causes of delays include technical issues and insufficient border staff.
- Airlines advise passengers to arrive up to three hours before their flights to allow enough time for EES checks.
- Some passengers have missed flights due to long waits, and airline policies on holding flights vary.
- Greece is not enforcing biometric checks for UK visitors during the peak summer period.
- The European Commission allows suspending EES in extreme cases to reduce waiting times, and some countries like Portugal are adding more border staff.
- EES machines have also been installed at some ferry and train terminals where French border police check passports before departure, but not all biometric data is yet collected there.
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