The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is causing longer queues and operational challenges at airports across Europe as authorities begin implementing mandatory biometric border checks for millions of non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area.
The digital border management system replaces the traditional manual passport-stamping process with the electronic registration of travellers’ facial images, fingerprints and travel information. Under the system, non-EU nationals entering or leaving the Schengen area for short stays must have their biometric data captured and their entry and exit electronically recorded.
The additional processing time required for biometric enrolment particularly for first-time travelers has led to congestion at border control points during Europe’s peak summer travel season. Even an increase of a few seconds per passenger can create significant bottlenecks at airports handling tens of thousands of international arrivals daily.
Several airports have reported passengers waiting for extended periods at immigration checkpoints, with some travellers missing connecting flights because of the longer processing times. Airport authorities have called on European regulators to allow operational flexibility during the transition period while additional biometric kiosks, staffing and infrastructure are deployed to ease passenger flows.
Why the EU introduced Biometric Border Checks
The Entry/Exit System was first proposed by the European Commission in 2016 as part of a broader package to modernise the European Union’s external border management and strengthen security. After years of legislative approval, technical development and multiple postponements due to the complexity of implementation across member states, the system is now being rolled out across the Schengen area.
The EES was introduced to achieve several objectives including strengthening border security by creating a digital record of border crossings and reducing identity fraud, replacing manual passport stamping by providing a more accurate electronic record of entries and exits.
The initiative also aims to help identify travellers who overstay the 90-day limit permitted under the Schengen short-stay visa regime and improve law enforcement cooperation by giving authorised authorities access to reliable border-crossing data when investigating terrorism and serious cross-border crime.
The system also seeks to help prepare for future digital border controls, including interoperability with the forthcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
According to the European Union, the EES is expected to enhance the efficiency and reliability of border management over the long term despite the initial disruption associated with its introduction.
The system applies to most non-EU nationals travelling for short stays, including visa-exempt visitors and holders of short-stay Schengen visas. Citizens of EU and Schengen member states, as well as individuals with long-term residence permits issued by Schengen countries, are generally exempt from biometric registration under the EES.
