Overview
- The EU launched the Entry/Exit System in April 2026 to record non‑EU short stays with fingerprints and a photo instead of passport stamps.
- Since the rollout, travellers have reported hours‑long passport‑control queues and missed connections as kiosks fail and checkpoints run short of staff.
- Border authorities in several countries have temporarily switched to manual passport checks and stamping to ease congestion and speed processing.
- The UK Foreign Office updated guidance on Monday warning of long delays at Copenhagen and told travellers to allow extra time, while Portugal and Greece have debated local suspensions of full biometric checks.
- The EES is meant to help spot overstays and identity fraud by giving border and law enforcement access to entry/exit and biometric data, but uneven local procedures mean arrivals can face very different experiences at different airports.