Major European airports have begun periodically suspending biometric checks under the new Entry/Exit System (EES) when its operation leads to excessive lines at passport control and creates the risk of flight delays.
The current EU transitional mechanism, in effect until September 6, 2026, allows for the temporary suspension of fingerprinting and photographing passengers under exceptional circumstances.
Nine European countries have already called for this option to remain in place after September 6. A joint appeal was submitted by Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. They support the continued use of the EES but warn that the system creates serious operational problems during peak passenger traffic.
Disruptions are particularly noticeable at major tourist airports during the summer season. In some cases, border control authorities temporarily suspend certain biometric procedures to process passengers more quickly and prevent flight schedules from being disrupted.
One of the most telling incidents occurred at Milan-Linate Airport. On April 12, due to hours-long lines at border control, 122 passengers on an easyJet flight to Manchester missed their boarding. Of the 156 registered passengers, the plane was able to depart with only 34.
The EES began to be phased in on October 12, 2025, and has been fully operational at the external borders of 29 European countries since April 10, 2026. Instead of a stamp in the passport, the system records the date and place of entry and exit, document details, a facial image, and travelers’ fingerprints.
The system applies to citizens of non-EU countries visiting EES member states for a short stay—up to 90 days within any 180-day period. It applies to both travelers who require a Schengen visa and citizens of countries with visa-free travel.
In particular, citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania are subject to the EES; the rules also apply to British, American, Canadian, Australian, and other third-country nationals.
There is a significant exception for Ukrainians. Those who hold a valid residence permit, a long-term visa, or a document granting the right to reside in one of the countries using the EES are not registered in the system as ordinary short-term travelers. Therefore, most Ukrainians who are permanently residing in the EU based on the relevant residence status do not have to go through the EES on every trip.
Ukrainians entering the EU visa-free specifically for a short stay, on the other hand, are subject to the system.
The greatest practical impact is currently felt by UK citizens due to the massive passenger traffic between British and European airports. Following Brexit, British citizens on short-term trips are considered third-country nationals under the EES. It is precisely on routes between the EU and the UK that there have already been instances where long lines at passport control have led to missed flights.
At the same time, the European Commission has no intention of abandoning the EES. Brussels considers the system an important tool for controlling external borders: it allows for the automatic tracking of third-country nationals’ length of stay, the detection of the use of stolen or forged documents, and the recording of previous refusals of entry.
September 6 will now be a key date. If the current flexibility mechanism is not extended, it will become more difficult for border services to temporarily suspend biometric procedures when queues grow sharply. Nine EU and Schengen Area countries are pushing to retain this option, fearing further disruptions at Europe’s largest airports.
Nine European countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland—have asked the European Commission to extend the temporary mechanism that eases the implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) at the external borders of the Schengen Area.
The EES requires mandatory electronic registration of non-EU citizens when crossing the border, including facial recognition and fingerprinting. According to the countries that initiated the appeal, the first months of the system’s operation revealed serious problems at a number of airports and border crossing points: lines grew longer, processing times increased, and the burden on border services rose.
The current temporary mechanism allows for the waiver of biometric data collection in exceptional cases, while still maintaining electronic registration of travelers. Nine countries believe that abandoning this measure now could lead to new disruptions in border infrastructure operations.
For Ukrainian citizens, this issue has direct practical implications, as Ukrainians are also considered travelers from non-EU countries and are subject to the EES for short-term trips to the Schengen Area.
If the European Commission agrees to extend the temporary mechanism, this could:
reduce the risk of long lines at popular border crossings and major EU airports, especially during peak travel periods; reduce the likelihood of delays for Ukrainian tourists, drivers, business travelers, and seasonal workers when crossing the border;
give EU countries more time to fine-tune the system technically without suspending its operation.
However, Ukrainians should not expect the biometric registration requirement to be lifted. The EES remains a mandatory system, and in most cases, Ukrainian citizens entering the Schengen Area will be required to have their photo taken and provide fingerprints upon their first border crossing after the system’s launch.
Experts note that the extension of the simplified regime signifies a more flexible application of the rules at problematic border crossing points rather than a change in the requirements for travelers themselves.
The EES system is part of a broader reform of the EU’s external border controls and is intended to eventually replace traditional passport stamping with electronic recording of all entries and exits by third-country nationals.
European airports and airlines have called on the European Commission to urgently intervene in the launch of the new Entry/Exit System (EES). In an open letter, ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe, and IATA stated that the system’s implementation has reached a “critical point” and is already causing serious disruptions at airports.
The EES is a new digital system for controlling the Schengen Area’s external borders for citizens of non-EU countries. It replaces passport stamps and records entry, exit, or refusal of entry. When crossing the border, the system collects passport data, a facial photo, fingerprints, and the date and location of the border crossing. The system became fully operational on April 10, 2026, following a phased rollout that began in October 2025.
The problem is that, in practice, biometric registration takes longer than expected. According to ACI EUROPE, A4E, and IATA, since the full launch of the EES, wait times at border control during peak periods have already reached five hours. This leads to flight delays, missed connections, strain on staff, and situations where passengers are stranded at the border while planes depart without being fully occupied.
Industry organizations warn that the situation could worsen in July and August: European airports are expecting approximately 40 million more passengers than in the previous two months. The risk applies not only to the largest hubs but also to smaller airports in popular tourist destinations, where border infrastructure is physically unable to handle the flow of passengers.
The aviation industry is asking the European Commission to allow Schengen Area countries to fully or partially suspend the EES in July and August if passenger traffic exceeds border control capacity. Starting in September, it is proposed to establish a permanent flexibility mechanism to temporarily disable the EES in exceptional situations and revert to standard checks in accordance with the Schengen Code, including passport stamps.
Airports and airlines are not calling for the abolition of border controls. They recognize the importance of the EES for security but believe the system must operate without disrupting transportation logistics or the tourist season. Among the unresolved issues, they cite a shortage of border guards, instability of the IT platform, the unreadiness of self-service kiosks and ABC gates, as well as the poor performance of the pre-registration app.
The EES was intended to make EU borders more digital and secure, but in the summer of 2026, it became an additional source of delays. If the European Commission does not grant airports greater flexibility, the tourist season could face long lines, missed flights, and a reputational blow to European tourism.
